Atlanta Dream are aiming to reach their first WNBA Finals since 2013. However, the Dream received some concerning news just before Game 2 as Allisha Gray was ruled out due to an injury she suffered in the opening game of the semifinals against the New York Liberty. One of Gray’s teammates appeared somewhat in good spirits as they shared an update about her.

“Good news,” said Rhyne Howard after Tuesday’s practice, on Allisha Gray’s status, per USA Today’s Meghan L. Hall.

Gray has been Atlanta’s top scorer in the regular season, and her absence can be a cause of concern for her team. Hall also shared that the Atlanta team appeared in good spirits while replying to her earlier post that shared an update on Gray’s status.

Hall reports that, per head coach Karl Smesko, Gray’s status will now be considered on a ‘day-to-day’ basis, as she underwent an X-ray of her finger on Tuesday.

Allisha Gray suffered the injury in the first quarter of Game 1. With just around four minutes left on the clock, Gray was seen going down on the sidelines near her team’s baseline, clutching her finger. A trainer was seen attending to her hand, and she exited the game soon afterward.

While she did return in the second quarter, it was clear that she was still struggling with this finger injury. In fact, at one point, she even tore off the tape on her finger and appeared to aggravate the injury going for a loose ball. Gray did not feature in the second half of the game.

Gray has been in fine form this season, averaging a team-high 19.0 points per game, while adding 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Her presence elevated Atlanta’s offense, allowing players like Rhyne Howard the freedom to take shots, especially from the perimeter.

This is evident in Howard being just second in the regular season in three-pointers made per game, at 3.1. Howard remains keenly aware of what Gray brought to this team.

“I think just focusing on what we can get better at. We’re going in, we’re not worried about how they [Liberty] played us, but what we did to take away our own opportunities, or how we could prevent them from having as many opportunities,” Howard said after Tuesday’s practice, per IX Sports Wilton C. Jackson.

For the Dream, this presents a chance to appear in a fourth WNBA final and even possibly win their first.

“I think just staying in the game that we’re in. DB [DeWanna Bonner] always says like after we win one, we’re gonna repost and then trash it,” he added. “Like, it’s a new game, it’s gonna be a new environment, and we have to come out and continue to prove what we’ve been doing.”

Indeed, Karl Smesko will now have to turn to other options in his squad to replace Gray’s output. DeWanna Bonner fulfilled that role in Game 1, going for 23 points and nine rebounds. But Smesko also realizes that it may not always be possible to replace somebody like Gray, but at this critical stage in the postseason, the Dream may not have any other option.

“Nobody’s going to try to be Lish because, I mean, there’s only one Lish,” Smesko said, per ESPN Alexa Philippou. “Lish is one of the best players in the league. She’s an exceptional scorer, and she’s an excellent defender. So being without her for a game is tough, but we have players that are ready to step up.”

The Liberty may see Gray’s absence as a positive development. Gray was not only an elite scorer for her team, but she was also a crucial contributor on both ends of the floor. Atlanta’s defensive rating drops to 111.5 when she is off the floor, compared to 103.5 when she is present, per Databallr. Gray also grabs 9.2% of her team’s defensive rebounds, per WNBA Advanced Stats. While this may not appear significant at first glance, in a tight playoff series, this output can be the difference.

Atlanta fans can only hope that Gray’s injury is nothing too concerning, and she can rejoin her team at the earliest.