Ahead of the Atlanta Dream's win over the Golden State Valkyries in the Game 6 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday, the Dream held a player's only meeting with their goal of winning a championship hanging in the balance.
The agenda? Reminding each and every player they are great at basketball. That includes four-time All-Star Allisha Gray, who admitted to not feeling 100% after undergoing a minor procedure on her left hand
earlier this month."I just want (Gray) to continue to be confident in who she is. I always remind her, you that girl, you're a superstar. Act like a superstar," Angel Reese recalled of her conversation with Gray. "We needed the best of every single person."
Gray lived up to the challenge and helped Atlanta force the first Game 7
in WNBA Finals history. She recorded a team-high 23 points while shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from the 3-point line, marking her highest scoring performance of the postseason. Her impact stretched far past offense, finishing with six rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in the 80-69 victory over the Valkyries.
"My teammates were really on me to just play my game," Gray added. "I do believe I stepped up to the challenge and I know going to Game 7, not to take the foot off the gas and just, I feel I can take it up even another level."
There was no bigger shot than Gray's 22-foot dagger with 56 seconds remaining in the game to end the Valkyries' 14-3 run and comeback bid. Gray was responsible for five of the Dream's 13 made 3-pointers, which ties the record for the most made 3-pointers by a team facing elimination in WNBA Finals history.
"She's never made an excuse for anything. She might be hurting, but you can't tell," said Reese, who added 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the win. "She comes out every day and she puts in the work and I'm just really proud of her."
ALLISHA. GRAY. 👌
— USA Sports (@usasports) October 29, 2026
She knocks down a triple to halt Golden State's comeback attempt 😤#WNBAonUSA 🏆 | Valkyries ⚔️ | Dream 💭 pic.twitter.com/HArRKUXHYJ
Gray's performance was even more impressive considering there were question marks surrounding her status heading into the WNBA Finals after she was injured in Game 1 of the semifinals 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. Gray dove for a loose ball with 3:44 remaining in the first half, injuring the same hand again. Gray was ruled out before halftime.
"I actually injured it on the first (play)," Gray clarified. "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. I knew that I wasn't able to help my team anymore, so it was best for me to sit down."
The injury kept Gray out of Games 2 and 3 of the semifinals, which the Dream went on to sweep to advance to the WNBA Finals. Gray didn't reveal her specific injury, but said "everything is put together and fixed" after a minor procedure. She's played in every game of the WNBA Finals with tape on her left ring finger and pinky.
But the pain lingers.
"Of course, I'm not 100%. I'm playing with a messed up finger ... being able to at least suit up and be able to be for my team is a miracle within itself," Gray said. "I can't be hard on myself. I know my shooting is not up to par... I'm playing with eight fingers. I'm trying my best. I'm doing what I can out there."
Through the first five games of the championship series, Gray shot 16-of-57 (28%) from the field and 4-of-26 (15.3%) from the 3-point line, well below her season average. And with the Valkyries' defense swarming, points were hard to come by for the Dream, who were held to a season-low of 55 points in Game 5's loss.
The Dream needed someone to step up. That's exactly what Gray did.
"My plans to come out aggressive from the jump," Gray said. "The biggest thing for me is just doing other things to help my team out. Shots were falling today, so I'll take that. But I feel like it started on the defensive end. I was able to play defense and go for rebounds."
Gray held the Valkyries to 2-of-17 from the field when she was the primary defender in Game 6. And her three blocks, a playoff career high, tied the Dream's individual franchise record in a Finals game.
"We're all super proud of Lish," Dream head coach Karl Smesko said. "Everything that we talked about that we wanted to see, she did it exactly. The execution from film and practice to the floor was flawless on her part. Obviously these are as big a games as anybody's been a part of. And to just take what she saw and just implement it to that level, I mean, it was the first thing we said in the locker room how proud we are of (Gray)."
The Dream will likely need an encore from Gray if they want to hoist a championship trophy. Game 7 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock/CNBC) at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Allisha Gray's Dream teammates reminded her she's a superstar. She delivered in Game 6.
