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Allisha Gray better be installing a bigger trophy case.
The Atlanta Dream star was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season. She also has snagged the Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors for May and June, in addition to earning her third-straight All-Star selection.
Her most-recent POTW-winning stretch—21 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists as the shorthanded Dream defeated the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury—was a continuation of her career season. She’s averaging career highs with 18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. For the season, the Dream have outscored opponents by 206 points in her minutes. And in the nine games since the All-Star break, when the Dream have been without Rhyne Howard and Brittney Griner for most games, she’s been an even more dangerous as scorer, shooting lights out as she has posted over 20 points per game—which has helped the Dream surge to a 7-2 record and threaten to occupy the No. 2 spot in the standings.
But with Gray, it’s about her process, as much as her production.
Even as she has become one of the W’s deadliest long-range shooters, Gray has remained a determined driver who never hesitates to attack the rim. It’s an approach that’s seen her develop into an analytically-ideal player who’s shooting the most 3s of the career, netting better than 40 percent of her triples on more than six attempts per game, all while getting to the stripe for a career-high 5.6 free throws per game. And, she’s no slouch on defense, using her combination of size, physicality and smarts to constantly cause trouble for her mark. (She just needs to quit fouling 3-point shooters!)
It thus shouldn’t be surprising that advanced stats favorably rate Gray’s impact. According to Basketball Reference, she ranks second in offensive win shares (2.6) and total win shares (5.9), which reflect the estimated number of wins her offensive and overall play have produced for the Dream. Similarly, ESPN Analytics projects her offensive wins above replacement, meaning how much more her offensive production has contributed to wins compared to that of an average player, as the best in the league (3.6). She’s second in total wins above replacement (4.6).
Gray’s increased effectiveness, especially without Howard, is particularly impressive. She’s certainly No. 1 on opponents’ scouting reports. And yet, she’s not only surviving, but thriving. It’s a credit not only to how she’s taken to head coach Karl Smesko’s offensive system, but also to her relentless work rate. Gray’s not a star who picks her spots; she’s always on go. She’s flying up the court in transition. She’s fighting through screens. She’s relocating to behind the 3-point line. She’s powering her way to the rim. And she’s doing all that while having played the second-most minutes in the league this season.
So, is all this enough for Lish to potentially be crowned MVP?
While she’s certainly inserted herself into the conversation and absolutely should earn MVP votes for the first time in her career, in addition to a surefire spot on the All-WNBA First Team, it would be surprising if Gray claimed the WNBA’s top individual trophy. It’s a reality that not only speaks to excellence of the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas, but also to the fact that those players, in contrast to Gray, have established reputations as the do-it-all drivers of their team’s success. This is Gray’s first season reaching those heights.
However, don’t expect it to be her last. If her nine-year WNBA career has proven anything, it’s that Allisha Gray is going to keep getting better. And her trophy case is going to keep getting bigger.
