ATLANTA — Allisha Gray exited the first half twice during the Dream’s 92-82 win over the Liberty Sunday with a left hand harm.
Her availability for the the rest of the semifinals wasn’t instantly recognized.
Gray appeared to injure her pinky and ring fingers on her taking pictures hand on a deflection in the first quarter. She went down to the locker room while holding her hand.
Gray reappeared from the tunnel with her fingers taped up and reentered the recreation at the 8:30 mark of the second quarter.
After airballing a 3-point try, Gray pulled off the tape and threw it toward her team’s bench.
Despite the jacked-up hand, Gray’s defensive depth didn’t waver. She dove on the ground for a unfastened ball and was credited with a steal. Gray stayed on the Liberty finish of the ground while the play ensued on the other finish.
Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray reacts after drawing against the New York Liberty during the second quarter of Game 1 of the WNBA playoff semifinals at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Getty Images
She in the end checked out of the recreation again and headed back to the locker room — this time for good.
Gray, the Dream’s main scorer averaging 19 factors per recreation, was dominated out before the finish of the first half.
Dream coach Karl Smesko didn’t have an speedy replace on Gray after the recreation.
“Hopefully she’ll be OK,” Smesko said. “Obviously, she’s been a huge reason we’ve been so successful this year, and it was tough to see her not out there, but really proud of how the team pulled together and how they played in the game.”
Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) sits on the bench with an harm during the fourth quarter of recreation one of the second spherical of the WNBA playoffs against the New York Liberty, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Liberty didn’t know whether Han Xu would be out there Sunday after she fell ailing.
Han missed Saturday’s apply with a fever and was a game-time resolution. She was still feeling under the climate Sunday.
“I know the team, they need me, and I want to be ready,” Han said. “But it’s hard to breathe a little bit, but I still try my best.”
Han, who had been a key contributor off the bench in New York’s first-round sweep, completed with three factors and two rebounds in eight minutes.
Jonquel Jones lauded Han for pushing through.
“She’s locked in,” Jones said. “She does a really good job of coming in and just allowing me to have a good rest on the bench and to really just watching the game and see it from a different perspective, so she’s been great.”
Breanna Stewart said she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to win — even if it means taking part in 40 minutes.
She did that Sunday for the second consecutive recreation, but the Liberty still lost.
Stewart has disregarded concern regarding potential burnout given her heavy minutes at the FIBA Women’s World Cup and in the WNBA.
“It’s tricky sometimes,” coach Chris DeMarco said. “It can be better to get the rest or in other cases, have [her] play closer in this game and there’s a rhythm to it, but yeah, we’re just going to continue to monitor it and make sure she’s good to go.”
Source hyperlink
