The Atlanta Dream are gearing up for their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013, and they'll have guard Allisha Gray in the lineup when they take on the Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Gray said she was trending in the right direction after undergoing a minor procedure on her left hand, an injury that forced her to miss two playoff games in the semifinals. She was initially listed as "questionable" on Saturday, before being upgraded to available for Game 1. She will slide back into the starting lineup.
The four-time All-Star was a limited participant in practice in the lead up to Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Gray said the final decision would come from the team's medical staff. After going through a shootaround Saturday
morning, Gray got the greenlight to suit up for the first time since Oct. 4.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko said Gray won't have any restrictions, noting her playing time will largely depend on how her left hand is feeling. When asked about her injury, Gray told reporters she had "no concerns.
"I have no concerns, no regrets," said Gray, who donned black tape around her left ring finger and pinky. "Like I said, if I can't play, I won't go out there and punish my team like that. So either I'm a full go, I'm 100%, and if I'm not, I'm not going to be out there thinking that about this hand because it doesn't help me or my team."
Gray suffered the left hand injury in Game 1 of the Dream's WNBA playoff semifinals series against the New York Liberty. Gray first exited the game holding her left wrist and hand area with 3:59 remaining in the first quarter before returning to the bench at the 9:09 mark of the second quarter with her ring finger and pinky taped. With 3:44 remaining in the first half, Gray dove for a loose ball and appeared to injure the same hand. She left the game and was ruled out before halftime.
"I actually injured it on the first (play)," Gray clarified on Thursday. "Me coming back out was just my competitive nature of not wanting to sit out, but it was just a point where I couldn't play anymore, so I knew that I wasn't able to help my tear anymore, so it was best for me to sit down."
The injury kept Gray out of Game 2 and Game 3 of the semifinal series over the Liberty, which the Dream swept to punch their ticket to the WNBA Finals.
On Tuesday, Gray revealed she underwent a "minor procedure" on her left hand. Although she didn't disclose the specific procedure, or when she had it, Gray said "everything is put together and fixed. I'm good to go."
Gray is averaging 17 points and 1.7 rebounds across three postseason games.
Allisha Gray injury update
Dream guard Allisha Gray is "day-to-day" with a left hand injury and will play in Game 1 of the Finals.
What happened to Allisha Gray?
At the 3:59 mark of the first quarter in Game 1 of a semifinal playoff series, Gray exited holding her left wrist and hand area. Gray was down on the floor for a few moments before being helped up. She went to the locker room for several minutes before returning to the bench at the 9:09 mark of the second quarter. Gray checked back in at the 8:30 mark of the second quarter with two fingers taped (her ring and pinky) on her left hand. She attempted a field goal but missed it. Once she missed the shot, she took off her tape.
Just before halftime, at the 3:44 mark, Gray was diving for a loose basketball on the floor, trying to secure a possession for Atlanta, when she appeared to injure the same hand again. Gray sat on the court, cradling her hand/fingers before going back to the locker room for a second time.
Gray was later ruled out with a left hand injury just before halftime. She returned to the bench after being ruled out, with her left hand heavily wrapped around her ring and pinky fingers. Within the wrap, Gray had a splint on her ring finger.
Allisha Gray 2026 stats
Regular season per-game averages
- Points: 19
- Rebounds: 3.5
- Assists: 2.6
- Steals: 1.4
- Blocks: 0.4
- Field goal percentage: 46.3
- 3-point pecentage: 33.9
Postseason per-game averages
- Points: 17
- Rebounds: 1.7
- Assists: 1.0
- Steals: 2.0
- Blocks: 0.3
- Field goal percentage: 43.6
- 3-point percentage: 38.5
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Allisha Gray injury update: Dream guard will play in Game 1 of WNBA Finals
