NFL
By: Nick Andre
It’s been a rough season for the Atlanta Dream. As the first half of the WNBA season has come to a close, the team is currently sitting 10 games below .500. It’s safe to say there hasn’t been a lot for the team to cheer about. Luckily, they changed during the WNBA All-Star Weekend.
Allisha Gray was the highlight of Friday night’s actions. While fans were upset that Sabrina Ionescu, Caitlin Clark, and other star players failed to participate in events, Gray was a player who had something up her sleeve. First, Gray participated in the Skills Challenge. It’s a contest that shows players’ speed and attention to detail to see who can finish first.
Gray was able to get past the first round and faced Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham for the trophy. Cunningham had all the momentum on her side as she was playing in front of her home crowd. Luckily, that didn’t mean anything to a competitor like Allisha Gray.
As Cunningham finished her round in 34.5 seconds, how could Gray top that? Gray finished the first round in 31.2 seconds. Although she was winded from before, she showed her mental toughness and locked in to close the contest. With that being said, Gray delivered a masterful second round with the way she quickly got to her spots and raced down the floor. As time was ticking, Gray finished her round with 2.4 seconds remaining, beating Cunningham’s time to finish as the Skills Challenge Champion.
One trophy had already been won by Allisha Gray. But the job wasn’t finished. Next was the three-point competition. Nobody could top what Sabrina Ionescu did in last year’s competition. However, someone had a chance to put on a strong performance and leave with the trophy.
Allisha Gray was ready for the moment. She had momentum on her side from the skills challenge and was ready for more success. In the first round, Gray was one of the shining stars in the first round as she scored 23 points, which was second behind New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones who had 26. Jones and Gray would battle in the final round. While many fans were excited about the possibility of a center winning the trophy, the woman from Atlanta added another win to her night.
Allisha Gray showed her mental toughness in the final round. The pressure was tight and she was tired from everything she did beforehand. However; there was a trophy to win. Gray finished her final round with 22 points and was on pace to win. Luckily, a last miss by Jonquel allowed her to come out on top of the matchup 22-21.
An Atlanta Dream player took over Friday night. Allisha Gray swept both contests and also came away with $110K. The momentum continued on Saturday night as Team WNBA defeated Team USA 117-109. While Arike Ogunbowale stole the show, Gray pitched in 16 points and set a WNBA record for most free throws made in an All-Star game with nine. It was a great way for Gray to end the first half of the regular season and head into the Olympic break.
