Last season, Ohio State women’s basketball guard Chance Gray was stuck in her head. After two seasons at the University of Oregon, where a revolving door of transfers turned a once top program in the Pac-12 into a last-place team, Gray joined a growing tradition of upperclassmen transfers entering Ohio State’s starting lineup.
The Cincinnati, Ohio-born guard followed former Ohioan turned Eugene-to-Columbus transfer Taylor Mikesell, Duke guard Celeste Taylor, and Kentucky forward Ajae Petty as players who came into the program to make an immediate impact. In her first game, Gray had eight points in an uneven performance back in her home state, playing for the first time in over two years, but showed fans her potential in Game 2. That is when Gray tied the regular-season program record with nine three-pointers made, the last being a highlight-reel step-back beauty in the second half.
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That was the peak of Gray’s season. When the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025, Gray hit double-digits eight times in the final 20 games as her minutes declined; the guard’s frustration was palpable. However, with a new season now underway, Gray has left all of those negative feelings in the past.
“This is like the calmest I’ve been going into a season of basketball,” Gray told Land-Grant Holy Land.
Considering all of the uncertainty about this Buckeyes squad, that says a lot about Gray’s mindset this season. Gray went from a role player who supported players like Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon to the most veteran player on the team. There is no more Madison Greene or Eboni Walker to be the off-court leaders for the Buckeyes; those responsibilities fall on Gray.
So why is a situation that could easily overwhelm and confound many players so stress-free for Gray?
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“Honestly, just playing with nothing to lose,” said Gray.
That mentality has been on full display in the first two games of the 2025-26 season, and not in a highlight reel play or singular moment — it is in the shots that Gray and the Buckeyes are not making.
The Ohio State offense has struggled from deep in its wins against Coppin State and Bellarmine. What initially looked like a strength for Kevin McGuff’s squad is now in need of dramatic improvement. It is a concern considering that all 11 rostered players are capable of hitting shots from deep, including the bigs. Over two games, the Buckeyes shot 23.1 and 23.5% in Sunday and Thursday’s games, respectively. Those performances are worse than all but six games of the 2024-25 season, and three-point shooting was at a premium last season.
What is different this year is that those missed shots are not phasing Gray. Last season, going 3-for-11 from deep across two games could have impacted Gray’s confidence, sinking her performance in all aspects of her game, but not this year. Despite the subpar shooting effort, Gray has averaged 15.5 points per game this season across the two Buckeye victories.
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“She [Gray] had a really good offseason,” McGuff told Land-Grant Holy Land. “Though, on the court, she’s making good decisions, shoot the three or drive it, and she’s finishing around the basket at a high level.”
Ohio State fans did not see that kind of play from Gray too much in her first year in scarlet and gray. Despite playing a guard role that required three-level scoring with the Ducks, Gray settled into a spot beyond the arc in her first year as a Buckeye, even though it did not play to all of her strengths.
That kind of play this season will be important not only on the scoreboard, but also as an example to a team full of underclassmen to see a veteran leader shaking off misses and focusing on what is next.
“Her voice is a little stronger in terms of leadership,” said McGuff. “I think on and off the court, she’s done a really nice job helping lead the team, and we’re going to need that.”
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That will be especially true this Sunday when Ohio State travels to Storrs, Connecticut, to face the reigning national championship-winning UConn Huskies, a game that will be a far cry from two games against overpowered mid-majors played inside your home arena. Sunday will be the first-ever away game for nearly half of the team, and it will be played against 2025 Player of the Tournament Azzi Fudd, All-American Sarah Strong, and head coach Geno Auriemma.
“I’m playing really poised, just trying to keep my teammates poised and making sure we’re communicating on the floor, don’t let anybody get sped up,” said Gray. “They’re a very good team, but we can stay in the game if we play how we play, and don’t get outside of our identity.”
It is that kind of mentality that a leader with three seasons and many big games under her belt brings to the program. How well that will transfer from preparation to facing a juggernaut of an opponent is yet to be seen, but approaching any game with a renewed sense of calm can put players of any age in a better mindset.
“I think we’ll be fine,” said Gray. “We just have to prep and make sure our minds are right mentally, and we’ll be okay.”
