Dream guard Allisha Gray day-to-day, game-time decision for Game 1 of WNBA Finals
SAN FRANCISCO — The Dream await word on whether they will have one of their top talents for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday at Chase Center.
The team missed the presence of four-time WNBA All-Star Allisha Gray in the semifinals sweep of the Liberty last week.
Gray underwent a procedure on her hand last week to address an injury she sustained in Game 1 of the semifinal series. The team did not announce the specifics of the procedure, but Gray has participated in practices in various forms in the week leading up to Saturday.
The 31-year-old participated in full-court drills with the starters and told reporters throughout the week that she “feels great.”
“My hand feels good,” Gray told reporters on Friday morning. “Today in practice was really my first day of actually being able to have a full practice, go through contact and stuff like that.
“Right now I’m still day-to-day, and then we’re gonna see how my finger reacts to how practice went today and we’ll see tomorrow.”
Gray’s injury occurred in the first quarter of Game 1 of the semifinal series against the Liberty at State Farm Arena. Gray deflected a pass from Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and went to the team’s locker room.
She returned to the game with tape on her fingers, but after missing her first 3-point attempt, she removed it.
Gray tried to play a few more minutes in the second quarter. But after forcing a steal another steal on Ionescu, Gray fell to the floor. Between the steal and the fall, she aggravated it, left the game and the team ruled her out for the remainder of the contest. She did not play in the rest of the series.
The Dream have leaned on veteran wing DeWanna Bonner. But several players, like rookie wing Isobel Borlase, have also stepped up in Gray’s absence.
For now, Gray will be a game-time decision.
Game 1 of the WNBA Finals tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.