Dream star Allisha Gray is officially available for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries. This wasn’t some early announcement, either, folks: she was declared a go a mere 30 minutes before tip-off. Talk about cutting it close, right? Gray, who has been sidelined, is now set to hit the court in a series where her team’s title chances might just hinge on her.
The Grind Back From That Finger Injury
Man, this has been a wild ride for Gray. Remember that nasty finger injury? It happened way back in Game 1 of the semifinals against the New York Liberty. She took a short trip to the locker room after deflecting a pass from Sabrina Ionescu. She came back, taped up, but missed a three-pointer and took the tape off. Then, in the second quarter, she aggravated it again on another defensive play on Ionescu and hasn’t played since, missing the rest of the series. The Dream still swept the Liberty in three games, which is a testament to the squad, but Gray was clearly missed.
Her recovery has been intense. We heard her on Friday after practice saying, “My hand feels good. Today in practice was really my first day of actually being able to have a full practice, go through contact and stuff like that.” She even mentioned her pinky and ring fingers on her left shooting hand were still taped together! But the fire in her was clear: “I don’t think about my finger when I’m on the court,” she told reporters. She was “just so happy” to be able to “run up and down the court and be able to shoot.” Before being cleared on Saturday, she made it super clear: “Either I’m a full go and 100%, or if I’m not, I’m not going to go out there thinking about this hand, because it doesn’t help my team.” That’s the mindset of a champion, man. There was a “minor” procedure on her left hand at some point, but the specifics are still under wraps.
Why This Changes Everything For The Finals
Gray isn’t just *any* player, you know? She led the Dream in scoring, dropping 19 points per game, which put her ninth in the entire league. That’s a massive offensive punch coming back into the lineup! Dream coach Karl Smesko wasn’t kidding when he said, “Allisha’s one of the best players in the W.” He even acknowledged, “To advance and beat a great New York team basically without her, except for 10 minutes of one game, is a testament to everybody else raising their game. But it would be great to ha…” That quote getting cut off just makes you wonder what more he was going to say about her impact.
Her return for Game 1 is HUGE. With Gray back on the floor, the Dream get their top scorer and a defensive force. This isn’t just about one game, the Dream’s title hopes might genuinely depend on Gray being available and playing at her best. You gotta watch Game 1 of the WNBA Finals to see how this plays out. This could be epic.
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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