3x WNBA champion Chelsea Gray opens up about making 'dumb purchases' early on in her career

Nowadays, WNBA players are finally starting to get their fair share. The league spent a lot of time surviving, and it seems like they will start to thrive.

Plenty of people talk about the Caitlin Clark effect, and rightfully so, but someone had to pave the way for her to reach the heights she's at right now. Chelsea Gray is, by all means, one of those people.

Even so, as someone from the old guard, Gray knew she had to save as much as she could. In an interview with Essence on Tuesday, she opened up about her finances. She said:

“I was always taught in my household, and I think a lot of Black households is, ‘Save, save, save. You have to save, you have that rainy-day fund,'” Gray said. “I think that is true, but I think investing your money, making your money work for you, and how you can do that, that’s how you build generational wealth.”

Of course, she also got to treat herself every now and then. She admitted to making "dumb purchases" early on in his career, such as spending money on designer bags that “wouldn’t make sense in a year or two.”

Chelsea Gray wants her legacy to be about more than just basketball

The veteran point guard has always been one of the most outspoken players in the WNBA, and not only about the players getting the financial compensation they need and deserve.

She's also been a major activist for the LGBTQ+ movement, which is why she doesn't want to be remembered as just another basketball player. She knows how important representation is. She said:

“Somebody that’s been a voice, somebody they aspire to be, someone that looks like them,” she said. “So many times when I was younger, I was looking for something or someone that was relatable and shared their story.”

The WNBA and its players have had to put up with a lot, and the conversation wasn't always centered around basketball. Thanks to players like Gray and the new generation, that might finally start to change.