Getting one over the 2x defending champions is not everyone’s cup of tea. But looks like the Atlanta Dream didn’t get the memo. Friday night’s matchup involving Atlanta and Las Vegas was anything but boring. From Jackie Young and Aerial Powers grabbing double technicals to Aces’ one true strength in offense failing, the Gateway Center Arena saw everything thrilling about women’s sports. At the center of it all was Allisha Gray, pushing her team to more glory. From an NCAA championship to becoming a WNBA star, Gray has come a long way. But where did it all start?

Born in Greenwood, South Carolina, Allisha Gray has always had a knack for basketball. In fact, she led her high school, Washington County, to a standout 32-0 record and grabbed the 3A State Championship in 2010-11. During her 3 years, she led the team with an 88-4 record. With her stellar skills, she swept the 3A State Player of the Year thrice. Moreover, she became a part of the U18 and the 3×3 USA team. Her average of 32 points and 8.5 rebounds made her the second player with such stats. Consequently, she chose to play for North Carolina as a seventh-ranked, highly sought-after player.

However, her stay was short in Chapel Hill as she soon chose to enter the transfer portal. But during her two seasons in North Carolina, she bagged the honors of ACC All-Freshman Team in her first season. She also took home the title of First-team All-ACC in 2015. She then opted to play for Dawn Staley and South Carolina. But she was a redshirt junior. As a part of the Gamecocks, she won the National Championship in her last year in Columbia, South Carolina. Then it was time to shine in the WNBA.

Allisha Gray slowly sweeping accolades in the WNBA

Entering the WNBA draft, she became the 4th overall pick and was drafted by the Dallas Wings in 2017. The rookie immediately became an essential part of the roster. She started all 34 games that year. After averaging 13 points and 3.9 rebounds, she won the Rookie of the Year award. Her averages and load handling for the team kept reducing over the years and she was finally traded to the Atlanta Dream.

In her first season with Atlanta, Allisha Gray found good harmony alongside Rhyne Howard, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, and Aari McDonald. She led the team at the second spot for points, averaging 17.1 ppg. Gray also added to Howard and Parker-Tyus’ defense by adding 4.9 rebounds per game. Currently, she is averaging 16.2 points, maintaining her second spot in the offense. She is also leading the team with 0.8 blocks per game, adding to their defense.

Being a prolific scorer, she has shown that she can very well handle the responsibilities of a guard. It will be interesting to see how she evolves further into the athlete she really is meant to be.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.