Allisha Gray is heading to the Atlanta Dream, after having been dealt from the Dallas Wings, as first reported by ESPN’s M.A. Voepel. In exchange for the 27-year-old gold medalist, Atlanta sends this year’s #3 overall pick and a 2025 first rounder.
The Dallas Wings have officially traded Allisha Gray to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for the 2023 No. 3 pick and 2025 First Round Pick, sources confirm to @winsidr
— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) January 21, 2023
Gray, though still under contract for one more year, has been vocal about her desire for a new home since last July, which has been reported extensively by Khristina Williams of Girls Talk Sports TV. Talks intensified in recent weeks, and Gray reportedly provided four teams she would prefer to be dealt to, including Atlanta.
The fourth pick in the 2017 draft (and eventual Rookie of the Year) has spent the entirety of her six-year career with the Wings. This past season saw Gray set career marks in minutes played (32.9) and points per game (13.3), with a lot of that growth due to the step forward she took from three. Her 1.9 makes from deep at a 40.8 percent clip (both personal bests) put her among the W’s best long-distance shooters. Gray’s made threes per game ranked 13th in the league, and she was one of just eight players to hit at least 40 percent of their three-point attempts.
Gray’s athleticism makes her a particularly difficult assignment. Per Synergy, her 1.017 points per possession in 2022 landed her 15th among players with 100 or more possessions, and she excelled both in the halfcourt and in transition. Gray’s quick first step and ability to absorb contact—coupled with an array of southpaw releases—make her a tough stop for both guards and for secondary helpers that have just a split second to predict her trajectory. Watch Gray’s versatility in the video below, with all clips pulled from just one postseason game against the eventual runners up in the Connecticut Sun.
The Wings performed much better with Gray on the court than they did with her off it; her +4.1 net rating trailed only Teaira McCowan’s for tops on the team. Gray’s ability to be an impactful and assertive on-ball defender—she averages 1.2 steals per game in her career—creates a two-way threat that will pair nicely alongside the young core in Atlanta.
Originally from Greenwood, SC, and having gone to school at South Carolina, this is nearly a homecoming for Gray. As of now, she projects to be a free agent following the 2023 season, but Atlanta hopes to lock her up for the long term. Gray will make her debut for her new squad against her old one, as matchups against the Wings bookend the Dream’s regular season.
