On Sunday, the Atlanta Dream set the tone for their semifinal series against the New York Liberty, taking Game 1, 92-82, and immediately putting New York on the back foot. But the win came at a cost as Allisha Gray was forced to leave the court with an injury. With Game 2 at the door, Dream head coach Karl Smesko finally provided an update on Gray, but it is hardly what Atlanta supporters were hoping to hear.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
With just a little over 24 hours left before the Dream face the Liberty at State Farm Arena, Smesko met with reporters and shared an update on the 31-year-old.
“Allisha’s out tomorrow. She had an appointment today; day-to-day after that,” he said to the media, as seen in an X post by Jameelah Johnson. And that update quickly had Dream fans sounding the alarm.
“Smh tape them fingers Lish this the best chance at a damn ring. You don’t need to give Stewie a chance here,” a fan wrote. Another added, “ATL needs to play with straight hate in their hearts against NY. If a team took out my elite SG for a few games. I would be a complete menace until the series is over with.”
Allisha Gray, the four-time All-Star, first appeared to hurt her left hand while trying to create a deflection in the opening quarter of Game 1 on Sunday. She was caught clutching her hand before heading to the locker room. And while the Dream guard returned to the court early in the second quarter with her ring and pinky fingers taped together, the problem returned almost immediately.
Gray removed the tape after just one possession, only to grab the same hand in visible pain again while attempting to intercept a cross-court pass from Sabrina Ionescu. She dove for a loose ball and immediately reached for the injured hand, and that proved to be her final involvement of the night, as Atlanta ruled her out for the remainder of the game. Gray finished that game with seven points and one rebound in 11 minutes.
So with her now set to miss the upcoming game, the timing could hardly be worse. The Dream are facing a Liberty team led by Breanna Stewart, a veteran who knows exactly what the pressure of the playoffs demands. Even one game without a player of Gray’s experience could give New York the opening it needs to level the series.
“Win next game and don’t let her play till a potential game 5 or Finals,” one fan suggested. While another pointed out, “WNBA injury updates are mad weird… because they’re probably not gonna say she’s out for the f**king rest of the playoffs every game they’re just gonna say she’s not playing… I still believe in a dream, though.”
Allisha Gray led Atlanta in scoring during the regular season, averaging 19 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 44 games. She carried that production into the postseason, averaging 22 points while playing a key role in the Dream’s back-to-back wins over the Washington Mystics in the first round. So losing that kind of production is a significant blow, but if Game 1 showed anything, it’s that the Dream know how to hold down the fort.
With Gray sidelined, Jordin Canada stepped up in a major way, exploding for 20 points in the second half to finish with 25. She also helped Atlanta force 21 Liberty turnovers, with the Dream turning those mistakes into 32 points on their way to the win.
DeWanna Bonner came off the bench for the second half and responded with 23 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Atlanta clearly has players capable of helping fill the void, but for forward Naz Hillmon, there was no hiding what Gray’s absence means to the team.
“Knowing that Allisha will be out, it hurts. It sucks. I know how much she would want to be on the floor with us,” Hillmon said, as per the New York Post. “We know how much we use her offensively and defensively. The next-woman-up mentality is for everybody, not just the players coming off the bench or whoever’s going to fill in her role.”
And that sentiment was echoed by a fan who saw one important positive in the update, writing, “Sucks for her, glad it’s not a season-ending for her.”
For now, that may be the biggest relief for Atlanta. Allisha Gray will miss Game 2, but the update leaves the door open for her return, giving the Dream a chance to keep pushing through the series while hoping their star guard can get back on the floor sooner rather than later.