Atlanta Dream star Allisha Gray just went through a “minor” procedure on her left shooting hand, and her status for Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals this Saturday against the Golden State Valkyries is completely up in the air. This is a massive blow, or at least a huge question mark, for a team looking to make franchise history. Gray herself confirmed Tuesday, “Right now I’m day-to-day, I had a minor procedure. Progress is great, so as of right now I’m just day-to-day, and you’ll see.” Talk about suspense!
The Injury That Changed Everything in the Semifinals
This whole situation started in Game 1 of the semifinals against the New York Liberty. Gray, who was leading the Dream with 19 points per game in the regular season and ranked ninth overall in the league, got hurt early trying to deflect a pass from Sabrina Ionescu. She went to the locker room, came back with taped fingers, then missed a three-pointer and took the tape off. But the damage was done. In the second quarter, she aggravated the injury making another sweet defensive play on Ionescu, and she hasn’t seen the court since. You could see the fear in every Dream fan’s eyes when she left that game.
How the Dream Survived (So Far) and What’s Next
Despite Gray’s absence, the Dream somehow absolutely swept the Liberty in three games to punch their ticket to the Finals. That’s a testament to the rest of the squad stepping up huge. And there’s a flicker of hope: Gray was actually on the court Tuesday, getting in shooting drills during the media-open portion of practice. You could clearly see her left ring and pinky fingers taped together, a sight that’s gotta give Dream fans a mix of relief and anxiety. Dream coach Karl Smesko didn’t mince words about her importance, calling her “one of the best players in the W.” He added that her return would be “great for the Finals” because she’s “offensively, is really hard to stop, and then she makes defensive plays. She’s just an all-around great player.”
The Dream’s shot at their first-ever championship absolutely hinges on Gray’s availability. Jordin Canada, DeWanna Bonner, and Isobel Borlase were total beasts in the semifinals against the Liberty. Canada, especially, exploded, putting up three of her five-highest playoff scoring performances, averaging 22.3 points on wild shooting splits of 62.2/61.5/100, a huge jump from her regular season average of 11.6 points. But to ask them to repeat those heroics without Gray in the Finals is a massive ask.
The WNBA Finals kick off Saturday against the Golden State Valkyries. The Dream’s historic first championship run might just come down to how Gray’s hand holds up. Every single possession is going to matter, and every fan will be holding their breath to see if Gray can make her mark.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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