For years, “underrated” was the label that followed Allisha Gray spoken in whispers, typed in headlines, and tossed around by analysts as if it defined her ceiling. But that narrative is finally changing. Gray herself has grown tired of it. “It’s time to get rid of that underrated label. I’m tired of that,” she said back in 2022. Fast forward to 2025, and the forgotten star is no more.

With a career-best season, she’s not only elevated the Atlanta Dream to their best record ever but also made her presence felt in the MVP race alongside heavyweights like Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas, and A’ja Wilson. Once overlooked, Gray is now forcing the conversation and proving that perseverance, talent, and grit can redefine expectations. Let’s pull back the curtain and explore how this once-underrated star became one of the most talked-about players in the league.

Where is Allisha Gray from? What is Allisha Gray’s Nationality?

Allisha Gray was born on January 12, 1995, in Greenwood, South Carolina, to Dr Allen Gray and Annie Gray. Her hometown is Sandersville, a city in Georgia, as per the Team USA website. “Sandersville is such a small town with so much talent, people just don’t know about it,” she states. In the WNBA, she started 900 miles away in Dallas and continued for the first 6 years. Gray finally had the opportunity to move close to home in Atlanta, and she took it. “Playing in my home state has been a blessing,” she explained. “I get to see my parents every home game. That’s super exciting because I didn’t have that opportunity in Texas.”

Naturally, Gray holds American nationality and has even represented the country at an international level. She was a member of the U18 USA Basketball National Team as well as the 3-on-3 National Team. Gray won the gold medal with the 3 vs 3 national team at the Tokyo Olympics that went 6-0 while averaging 5.6 points and 4.8 rebounds. Her success was not limited to the Olympics, for the 2021 USA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Team, she averaged a team-high 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds to help the USA to a 6-0 record at the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Austria. Gray carried her form to the main tournament, the 2021 Big Twelve International in Voiron, France, where she led the team to the title while being the MVP.

What is Allisha Gray’s Ethnicity?

Allisha Gray is African American while identifying with her modest small-town roots. “I feel like I’m a great role model,” she says. “I proved if you can work hard, you too can make it out of a small town. For the girls in my city, especially the hoopers, if you can see me, you can be me. Don’t let a small town hinder you from your goals; you can make it out, too.”

Her ethnicity meant she had faced some personal attacks as well. 2022 brought an ugly scene at home: her Olympic mural was trashed and tagged with racism.“This particular mural is very significant,” Sandersville Police Chief Victor K. Cuylor had said. “So that’s why this is very important.”Kenya Davis, a close friend of Allisha’s, was very upset about the incident.“Whoever did it is going to pay for it, because that is a hate crime,” she said.  And they did, via security cameras, three men were caught and charged with criminal trespassing and multiple counts of vandalizing apart from the mural. 

What is Allisha Gray’s Religion?

Allisha Gray is probably a Christian, if we infer from her past words. As of 2022, she starts her mornings getting into a positive frame of mind by listening to gospel music from some of her favorite artists like Rance Allen, Mary Mary, and Kirk Franklin.

“It just helps me start my day off in a positive light and just hearing the word of God,” she told Slam. “I just love the positivity that comes from the music.” Gray also visits, or at least used to visit, the church. “I’m blessed…I got GOD with me,” Gray wrote in 2016. While she isn’t as outspoken about her religion, it’s clear that it is an important undercurrent of her life. 

Allisha Gray’s journey is more than just a rise in the stats column; it’s a testament to resilience and staying true to oneself. From a small-town girl battling stereotypes to an MVP contender leading her team to new heights, Gray’s story embodies hard work, determination, and the power of representation. Her rise is a reminder that labels don’t define you; effort and belief do. As the season unfolds, Allisha Gray isn’t just rewriting her own story; she’s inspiring a new generation to believe that greatness can come from anywhere.