In a moment that every young basketball player dreams of, Chance Gray officially arrived in the WNBA. The 24th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, selected by the Los Angeles Sparks, scored her first professional basket on May 13 against the Indiana Fever.

Playing 16 minutes off the bench, the Winton Woods graduate and former Ohio State standout put up a single field goal in the Sparks' 87-78 loss. But for Gray, it was a milestone worth celebrating—and her proud father, Carlton Gray, made sure the world knew. A former NFL player and current Winton Woods head girls basketball coach, he posted a highlight of the moment on X, writing, "Congratulations on your first WNBA points @chancegrayy. Just keep striving to be your best."

The game itself was a showcase of top-tier talent. Princeton graduate and WNBA star Kelsey Mitchell dropped 23 points for the Fever, while rookie sensation Caitlin Clark added 24 points and nine assists. For Gray, sharing the court with such elite company only underscored the magnitude of her achievement.

Gray's path to the WNBA has been anything but ordinary. After spending her freshman and sophomore seasons at Oregon, she transferred to Ohio State, where she started 35 games this past season and averaged 14.7 points per game. Her selection in the draft made her the 21st Buckeye ever chosen, adding to Ohio State's proud legacy of producing professional talent.

The Sparks also drafted South Carolina's Ta'Niya Latson (20th overall) and Kentucky's Amelia Hassett (35th overall) as they look to rebuild after a 21-23 season that kept them out of the playoffs. For Gray, every minute on the court is a step toward proving she belongs—and that first basket? It's just the beginning.