‘We rely on her’: Dream’s Allisha Gray keeps making case for MVP

There’s no denying the importance of Dream guard Allisha Gray to the team.

When the energy shifts and the Dream need a bucket, the team will get the ball into her hands to find some momentum. With 5:28 to play in the third quarter and after back-to-back turnovers and empty possessions, Gray hit a 3, her fourth of the game, that got the Dream back on track.

She did it again in the fourth quarter. Naz Hillmon grabbed an offensive rebound after Gray split a pair of free throws. Gray put her head down and drove to the basket, creating a chance for a three-point play. As she walked up to the line, fans at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park chanted MVP.

“So first of all, I do think that her game has absolutely speaks for itself,” Hillmon said. “She’s just been amazing and it heightened her stats on every front and just the amount that we rely on her.

“We don’t just go into this game and think, ‘oh, you know, if Lish isn’t playing well, we can continue to be team.’ Like, we need Lish to do what she does, but it’s not just on the offensive end, it’s on defensive end. 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.”

In the midst of a career season under new coach Karl Smesko, Gray has tapped deep into her bag to provide a spark to the Dream day in and night out. Gray’s efficiency has pushed her into the conversation for the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player, as well as Most Improved Player.

But Gray has also positioned herself for a spot on the All-WNBA first team at the end of the year.

“I think she’s earned it,” Smesko said after Gray’s 27-point performance in the Dream’s win over the Lynx on Thursday. “She’s been one of the best players in the league this year. She’s just an exceptional player. She has the ability to put the ball on the floor, get to the rim. She does a great job drawing fouls. She knows when she has an advantage to draw a foul. She’s an exceptional shooter. And she doesn’t even just rely on those things. Like when she has an opportunity to cut, she cuts and she scores that way. She’s got a chance to push it in transition.”

But it’s not just Gray’s impact as a scorer that has given the Dream an offensive boost. The team can feel that impact whether she is on or off the ball. Gray has averaged a career-best 3.7 assists this season, which has opened up the floor for teammates like Naz Hillmon, Te-Hina Paopao and Brionna Jones.

“She’s a great all-around scorer, and this year, on top of that, she’s passing the ball when help comes over. Instead of forcing it, she’s looking for rollers or looking for kick outs,” Smesko said.

“So, I think this is probably her best year passing the ball. I think everybody notices how great she’s scoring, but she’s, she’s in the MVP conversation because she’s doing it all, including, you know, defending, rebounding. So, you know, I’m really glad. I definitely think she deserves to be in the conversation. Definitely deserves to be like a first-team all-W player. She’s been that good this year.”

This season, Gray has won the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice. She also won Eastern Conference Player of the Month in June. On top of that, Gray has averaged a career-high 18.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, while knocking down a career-best 39.2% of her 3-point shot attempts.

Gray is one of just two players to hit 90 3s this season, joining the Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell.

In the Dream’s 78-62 win over the Liberty on Saturday afternoon, Gray scored 19 points on 4-of-8 from 3.

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

In Saturday’s win over the Liberty (the team’s 24th of the season), the Dream set a franchise record for wins. They maintained their hold on the second-best record in the WNBA as they prepare to host the Aces, who remain hot on their heels, on Wednesday.

But while Gray has put up career numbers and the Dream has set franchise records, they haven’t allowed themselves to get comfortable.