Dream topple Liberty, set franchise record for single-season wins

Allisha Gray doesn’t care to talk about her stat lines.

The Dream guard is averaging career highs and ranks among the league’s top 10 in points, 3-pointers made and free throws. But she prefers to leave the praise to her teammates.

On Saturday, she let her play do the talking.

Gray scored a team-high 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including four 3-pointers, as the Dream beat the shorthanded New York Liberty, 78-62, at Gateway Center Arena.

With the win, the Dream (24-13) eclipsed their franchise record for wins in a single season. They also split the season series with the defending champions and widened their lead in second place in the overall league standings.

“She’s just been amazing and heightening her stats on every front,” Dream forward Naz Hillmon said of Gray. “... We ask her to guard the best players on the opposite team. We ask her to play 38 minutes and she just does all of those things, and she does it efficiently...

“You may see that she had 20-something points, but she’s shooting maybe 80% from the field. And it’s not like she’s always going to the basket. She’s shooting it from three. She’s just evolved so much on so many different levels. … She doesn’t talk that much; she’s a little quiet. I’m gonna talk her up (for MVP consideration).”

Gray has scored in double figures 36 times this season, but she said her focus remains on the bigger picture.

“It’s nice to have a career season, but it’s even better when you’re a winner,” she said. “I think I’m more happy about finally being a winner in my career than having a season high in my averages because I ain’t never been this high (in the standings).”

The Liberty, playing without Nyara Sabally (knee), Breanna Stewart (knee), Isabelle Harrison (concussion protocol) and Sabrina Ionescu (foot), cut a 20-point deficit to 11 in the fourth quarter behind a 9-0 run fueled by Kennedy Burke and Marine Johannès.

But Gray responded. After missing a free throw, she grabbed a pass off a Hillmon rebound and converted a layup through contact, drawing “MVP!” chants from the home crowd. The Dream answered with a 7-0 run before putting the game away.

Brionna Jones added 17 points and Hillmon chipped in 11 for Atlanta.

Gray’s third 3-pointer of the night — her 90th of the season — made her only the second Dream player to hit that mark, joining Rhyne Howard’s 99 last season. She also became one of only two WNBA players this season to reach 90 from deep, along with Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell.

Head coach Karl Smesko, in his first season, said he knew the roster had potential but didn’t predict a record-setting year.

“How many wins would that turn out to be? It’s hard to say because it’s hard in this league to know who’s even going to be playing,” Smesko said. “Getting everybody healthy throughout the whole season isn’t easy. … I thought, ‘If healthy, we had a team that could compete with anybody. If you have that type of team, you should get wins along the way and hopefully be in a good position once the playoffs come.”

The Dream led by as many as 26 in the third quarter before the Liberty made a push. Burke finished strong for New York, but it wasn’t enough.

The Dream opened the night fast, jumping to a 12-4 lead with four starters scoring in the first five minutes. They built a 19-point cushion by halftime, capitalizing on nine New York turnovers for 14 points.