Two knee surgeries in less than a year nearly shattered Chelsea Gray’s confidence.

Today, she’ll board a plane bound for Israel to see if she still has the tools, both physically and mentally, to compete a high level.

The former St. Mary’s High School and Duke standout has signed a contract with Rishon Lezion, a Division I team in the Israeli women’s basketball league. The financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, but Gray, an All-American point guard and former Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, is expected to see the court immediately.

She will fill the roster spot vacated by Nadirah McKenith, who averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 steals in eight games.

Gray, who was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 11th overall pick in April’s WNBA draft, will make her pro debut on Monday.

The 22-year-old sat her entire first season with the Sun as a precautionary measure. Save for a few team appearances, Gray spent the bulk of her time in Los Angeles rehabbing her injuries, training and coaching an AAU team.

After long last, it’s time to lace up the sneakers for real.

Rishon Lezion will play Hapoel Petach Tykva. The Israeli league is comprised of players from around the world, a vast majority of which hail from America.

“I’m so excited to have this opportunity to play the game I love,” Gray said in a text message with the Bulletin on Tuesday. “It’s a total blessing. Wouldn’t be able to do this without the strength of God, my family and close friends.”

Gray missed most of her junior and senior seasons at Duke with knee injuries.

She dislocated her right kneecap in the February 2013 and missed Duke’s run to a fourth straight Elite Eight appearance. Nearly a year later, Gray fractured the same kneecap, bringing her collegiate career to a halt.

When healthy, there have been few better at the point guard position. Gray was an all-ACC Rookie Team pick as a freshman, two-time all-ACC first-team selection and a two-time All-American.

In 2013, she shared the ACC’s player of the year honor, despite playing in only 25 games.

In recent months, Gray has admitted that the injuries had shaken her confidence, not in her talent, but of her body. She’s had to re-learn some of the game’s basic movements – how to bend the knee, how to change direction and how to explode off of it.

“I’m more confident than I have been in the past, which is saying a lot since I’ve had two knee surgeries in less than year,” Gray said.

The latest she’ll remain in Israel is March 15, she said. The WNBA season begins in June. The Sun host Washington.

“It’s definitely a test before the WNBA season,” Gray said. “It’s a way for me to get some playing experience.”