July 20, 2024
All-Star Allisha Gray has found freedom and joy with the Atlanta Dream
Gray: 'Coming to Atlanta has allowed me to be the player I know I am'
ATLANTA — Allisha Gray never stops moving. Even as Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright breaks down an intricate set for a screen and the roles of each wing cutter at the top of the key, the 6′ guard is already mentally scheming the movements to her spot. The veteran hopes to aid the Dream (7-17) in a game against the Las Vegas Aces that evening.
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Gray’s energy and passion won’t allow her to be still. Those two catalysts sit at the core of her basketball DNA, along with her rich Southern accent. “The first time I met her, I said, ‘Girl, you are from the country,’” Dream guard Haley Jones told The Next.
At the right wing, Gray — donning clear protective goggles — puts the play in motion. She sets a back screen near the right elbow and cuts to the opposite elbow to field a pass from Jones. In a blink, Gray dribbles once to her left before leaping to finish the left-handed layup.
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Shortly past noon on July 12, Atlanta’s morning shootaround has ended, but Gray’s energy hasn’t. The team huddles at halfcourt inside Gateway Center Arena (GCA) for Wright’s final words ahead of the Dream’s sold-out contest against the Aces. Inside the circle, Gray makes a quick loop to shake her teammates’ hands. Even in the little things, her motor runs like a sports car fueled with high-performance synthetic motor oil.
Atlanta goes on to lose to the two-time defending champions that night, extending its losing streak to six games. But Gray’s joy in playing for the Dream is still unmatched.
Gray is in her second season with the Dream after spending her first six years in the WNBA playing for the Dallas Wings. Although she helped the Wings notch four first-round postseason appearances under four coaches, she wasn’t the “silent assassin” she’s now become. She desired more.
In two seasons in Atlanta, the Sandersville, Georgia, native has not only found a home in the Black mecca. She’s found a sense of freedom on the court, learned to use her voice as a leader, and dived into personal growth away from the hardwood in her journey to becoming a back-to-back WNBA All-Star.
“Coming to Atlanta has allowed me to be the player I know I am,” Gray told The Next. “The proof is in the pudding, and I feel free.”
Finding her groove with the Dream
Gray is having a standout season for the Dream, averaging 15.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. When the 29-year-old was named an All-Star on July 2, she became the fifth player in Dream history to register multiple All-Star selections. She also made it four consecutive years that Atlanta has had an All-Star on the roster.
On the sideline during shootaround on July 12, forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus dons a pair of goggles and the team’s gray shirt with multicolored frames to honor Gray’s All-Star recognition. “She [is] Big Al, not the little one,” Parker-Tyus told reporters.
In Phoenix on Friday, Gray wasted no time becoming the main attraction of WNBA All-Star Weekend. After delivering a lightning-fast opening round (31.2 seconds) in the WNBA Skills Challenge, Gray blazed through the final round in 32.1 seconds to take home the crown. But it was only the start of Gray’s record-setting performance.
Gray then took her talents beyond the arc in the 3-Point Contest. Her first-round score (23) was good enough to advance to the final round against New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones, who tallied a first-round score of 25. After making three of five shots from her money ball rack, in which every make is worth two points instead of one, Gray registered a score of 22 in her final round to win.
Gray’s reaction, with her eyes as big as a deer in headlights, will forever be etched in her memory. She couldn’t believe it. Her best friend, Aces forward A’ja Wilson, swarmed her along with Dream teammate Rhyne Howard and fellow 3-Point Contest participants Marina Mabrey and Stefanie Dolson.
Gray became the only WNBA player ever to win both events in the same night and one of just three to win both in their career.
But even bigger than Gray walking away with two new trophies for her coffee table is the $115,150 in bonuses she took home courtesy of the WNBPA and Aflac. Gray’s payday is more than 60% of her season salary ($185,000), according to Her Hoop Stats. She will also earn no less than $2,575 as part of the league’s collective bargaining agreement when she takes the court for Team WNBA in the All-Star Game on Saturday against Team USA.
But like her dreams, Gray’s success in Atlanta hasn’t been an overnight feat. Her growth as one of the best two-way players in the league comes from making sacrifices and taking ownership to improve her craft when no one’s watching.
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Becoming a two-way player and leader
With morning shootaround complete on July 12, it’s almost time for the Dream’s final home game of the first half of the season. Atlanta desparately needs a win, and that’s Gray’s biggest priority. But as she emerges from the locker room, she knows the odds are stacked against the Dream. Their first 24 games of the season unfastened Pandora’s box of injuries and pushed players like Gray to take on increased roles.
“It’s kind of hard to label where we are right now because we’re not at full strength,” Gray said after shootaround. “But there’s a lot of season left and we’re still figuring out how to execute efficiently.”
When the season began, Atlanta’s goal was to build on its first-round playoff appearance in 2023, with hopes of becoming one of the WNBA’s top four franchises. However, the Dream have had seven different starting lineups this season due to injuries to Howard as well as two of the team’s key offseason acquisitions in Jordin Canada and Aerial Powers. The trio has missed a combined 37 games.
Through 24 games, Gray has averaged a team-high 32.4 minutes — the third-highest mark of her career — and topped 35 minutes in six contests. Although her scoring has decreased slightly from 2023, she’s made strides offensively.
Gray has attempted and made more 3-pointers per game this season and increased her percentage of points scored on 3-pointers to 33.1%. The latter is the second-highest mark of her career, up from a career-low 19.4% last season. She’s also improved her shooting percentage in the midrange to 45.3% from 37.3%.
That increased efficiency comes as Wright has increased Gray’s usage rate (22.4%) and given her the challenge of guarding the WNBA’s top offensive players.
“She’s shown flashes of how much she can impact winning games,” Dream assistant coach Barbara Turner told The Next after shootaround. “She doesn’t take bad shots and has room to be even better than she is now.”
Dream center Tina Charles sees growth in Gray, too. “She’s never wavered when Tanisha challenges her,” the eight-time All-Star told The Next. “She shows up on both ends of the floor, and ever since she left Dallas, it’s been amazing to see Atlanta give her a breath of fresh air.”
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That’s why Gray keeps a smile on her face — even after losing a half-court shot contest to Howard after shootaround. She missed both of her attempts, but she’s determined to beat the sharpshooting guard. “Rhyne be taking all of the money,” she said with a laugh.
Much like her desire to one-up Howard, Gray has accepted the challenge of doing more and the leadership that has come with it in her teammate’s absence.
“I’ve tried to shy away from some things, but Rhyne won’t let me,” Gray said. “She’s pushed me to be more of a leader.”
It’s working, according to Turner. “She’s using her voice more and leading by example,” Turner said.
Gray’s capacity to test her limits stems from her work ethic in the offseason. “It’s bar none,” Turner said. “I never had to call her about getting in the gym.”
Dream assistant coach Paul Goriss agrees. “People can be talented, but it’s the amount of work you put in to be better,” he told The Next. “… She’s one of the best two-way players in the W.”
What her former coaches, teammates see
Hours before Gray and the Dream faced the Chicago Sky on July 2, she and Wilson had a brief conversation. Although it’s also a game day for the two-time WNBA MVP, the Aces star tries her best never to miss Gray’s calls. “It doesn’t matter if it’s 3 a.m. or 3 p.m., that’s our relationship,” Wilson told The Next in a phone interview.
It’s also the day the league announced the players who would represent Team WNBA in Phoenix. Gray wasn’t sure if she would make the team, Wilson said: “She asked me, ‘You think I’ll make it? What if I don’t get in?’”
Wilson wasn’t buying Gray’s concern. “She’s crushing it this year,” Wilson said. “I told her, ‘You better make it.’”
The exchange between the stars perfectly underscores their relationship, which dates back to their national championship season at South Carolina in 2017 under coach Dawn Staley. Although the two are currently separated by more than 1,900 miles, their friendship is built to last.
When the two are dueling on the hardwood, though, Wilson said she wants to “get on Allisha’s nerves and beat the dog shit out of her every single time.”
“It’s our friendly big sister, little sister competition,” Wilson said.
That evening, Atlanta trailed Chicago by two after three quarters. The Dream put together a 15-5 run powered by Gray’s five points and three assists. However, the Sky outscored the Dream in the fourth, ending the game on an 11-2 run.
Sitting courtside to watch Gray play and congratulate her on the All-Star nod was Staley. The three-time national champion coach greeted Gray — who finished with 19 points, four assists and three rebounds — with a big smile and a hug.
“She’ll be in Atlanta one day, [in] Paris tomorrow and back in Columbia, [South Carolina,] the next day,” Gray said with a laugh. “I don’t know how she does it.”
It’s a testament to Staley’s relationship to show up for her players, much like Gray’s teammates have done for her in Atlanta to make her feel at home. Inside the locker room, a quiet Gray is celebrated by her teammates for her achievement.
“Three claps for Allisha,” Wright sounds off. Gray’s smile accentuates her happiness in the moment.
“She has never been afraid to do what’s necessary to get better,” Staley told The Next. “But going to Atlanta was a great move for her to enjoy the journey. She’s allowing herself to grow, allowing people [to get to know her] and building close friendships with Naz [Hillmon], Rhyne and her teammates.
“This is the same person who at South Carolina never wanted to talk or learn all the plays. She just wanted to play basketball. Being a pro teaches you these things and, well, look at her now.”
How being close to family has helped her thrive
As Gray and her teammates prepare to hit the floor for the game against the Aces, she’s also excited for her parents, Annie and Dr. Allen Gray, to arrive. The two live in Sandersville, a little more than two hours outside of Atlanta. Allen, a member of the U.S. military and the former principal during her high school days where she starred at Washington County, ran track and played basketball at West Virginia State. Annie was a high school basketball star.
When Gray elected to play for the Dream, it gave her the opportunity to move closer to home and spend more time with her parents as opposed to seeing them “one week out of a year” or during a string of home games.
“They’re going to get on that road for every home game,” Gray said. “That’s been one of my favorite things about playing in Atlanta. Knowing I can also drive home to see them on off days is everything, especially the home-cooked meals.”
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In becoming a two-time All-Star and living in Atlanta, it has also given Gray the chance to flex her talents as part-owner of Wings & Burgers Factory with one of her brothers and her boyfriend. The Milledgeville, Georgia-based restaurant serves wings, burgers, chicken, shrimp and more. “It was something I always wanted to do,” she said.
As the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard in the Aces’ 84-70 win against the Dream, Wilson and Gray shared a moment on the court. Although Wilson’s team got the win, the players’ friendly wager continues. But more importantly, as the two take the court against each other on Saturday, Gray’s All-Star nod underscores her personal growth and how she is being the player she was called to be in Atlanta.
“She’s in [a] healthy setting where she can thrive,” Wilson said after the Aces’ win against the Dream on July 12. “I think it is part of why she’s playing so well. She has family all around her.”
Some people may view Gray as one of the league’s most underrated stars. But she’s still evolving, still moving and making bigger leaps toward her goal to be the best on her journey.
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Written by Wilton Jackson
Wilton Jackson II covers the Atlanta Dream and the SEC for The Next. A native of Jackson, Miss., Wilton previously worked for Sports Illustrated along with other media outlets. He also freelances for different media entities as well. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism (broadcast) before earning a Master's degree in mass communication from LSU and a second Master's degree in sport management from Jackson State University.
