Mystics’ Jade Melbourne chips tooth in bloody scene after catching elbow to face

The WNBA tooth fairy is on the way to Jade Melbourne.

What made for a viral moment Thursday night involved the Mystics’ guard and the Aces’ Chelsea Gray.

Melbourne was guarding Gray in the first quarter and as the six-time All-Star attempted to run around a screen toward the rim, Gray’s elbow flew up in the air, brutally smacking Melbourne in the mouth.

Jade Melbourne holds her hands over her mouth after getting hit hard by Chelsea Gray on Thursday night.

Melbourne immediately held her hands to her mouth as the hit led to a swollen bloody lip and a cracked tooth.

Gray was subsequently assessed a flagrant foul for the incident.

Melbourne’s teammate, Georgia Amoore, shared a photo after the game on her Instagram story.

While Melbourne only lasted one minute the game, the Mystics ran away with a 94-83 road victory over the Aces thanks to a 21-point night from rookie guard Sonia Citron.

It was Washington’s third consecutive win and it puts them at .500 (8-8), and in sixth place in the WNBA standings.

Melbourne is averaging 6.5 points on 40 percent shooting from the field across an average of 23.5 minutes per game. It is her third year in the league and her second in Washington.

4
Jade Melbourne sitting back on the bench with half of a missing tooth.

The Storm drafted Melbourne 33rd overall in 2022, but she did not play in the league that year and instead participated in the Australian league, WNBL, as part of the Canberra Capitals.

She has been a member of the team since 2021 and averaged 16.3 points, 7.6 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in the 2023-24 season.