NFL
By: Nick Andre
An Atlanta Dream will once again represent the team during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. Tuesday night, Allisha Gray was announced on the All-Star roster for the second time in her career. It’s not a coincidence that Gray made the team. Her season averages of 15.8 points on 43 percent shooting prove themself that she is an All-Star caliber player.
The Atlanta Dream have not exceeded expectations this season. After the work they put in during the offseason, it hasn’t translated to success. The Dream currently have a 7-11 record, which is 7th in WNBA standings. It’s been one loss after another for the Dream as they’ve struggled to find an identity all season.
Despite the Dream’s struggles, one player who has remained consistent is Allisha Gray. Regardless of what position her team has been in, she’s loved her journey in Atlanta. Gray has been able to grow as a player and leader on both ends of the floor. “Coming to Atlanta, I always say it’s the best thing to happen in my career.”
One could ask why Allisha loves playing in Atlanta. The answer to that would be because of fit and culture. Gray spent six seasons playing for the Dallas Wings but couldn’t become the best version of herself. Once she joined Atlanta in 2023, everything changed. Gray averaged a career-high last season with 17.1 points per game on 46.5 percent shooting. She capitalized off her career year with another spectacular season so far.
Gray has elevated in every aspect of her game. To be fair, she had no choice but to. Dream head coach Tanisha Wright needed her wing player to step up as a leader. Also, with Rhyne Howard sidelined due to an injury, Gray has had to take on more responsibilities as the Dream’s best player. Gray has been able to set the tone on offense with her shot-making as well as defensively, taking on challenges and playing the passing lanes.
It all started in the Dream’s second game of the season against the Phoenix Mercury. Sure, it was a career night for Kahleah Copper, who recorded 38 points in the contest. However, Gray was one who shined with how she created stops on defense and continued to carry the load offensively. Despite the loss, Gray finished the contest with 22 points including 10 in the fourth quarter.
Since then, the momentum continued for Gray. She continued to be a leader on both ends and set the tone for her team. In the next game, Gray capitalized with 21 points and led the Dream to their first home win of the season. It was another masterclass on both ends as she forced turnovers while getting easy opportunities on offense. Gray has recorded five 20+ point performances this season while having six games with 2+ steals.
The entire Dream organization is happy for Allisha Gray representing the team in the All-Star game. However, let’s see if this can motivate the team to turn their season around. There is still more than half of the season remaining, which means there’s plenty of time to turn it around. To do so, Gray will once again have to continue to be a driving force for Atlanta moving forward.
