The Atlanta Dream are still in battle with the New York Liberty, and some would say that their road to the WNBA Finals may have gotten tougher. In Game 1, Allisha Gray went down with a hand injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. She was then ruled out ahead of Game 2, and she's being listed as day-to-day with the injury.
That's a tough blow for the Dream, as Gray is one of their best scorers while also defending at a high level on the other side of the ball. It's hard to replace what she does on the floor, and the Dream will have to raise their level of play in her absence. There's still uncertainty about how much time she could miss, but if it's for the remainder of the series, it'll be up to the Dream's stars to take control and fill her void.
The good news for the Dream is that they have enough to win without Gray, and it was evident in their Game 1 win.
The Dream have to rely on their veterans
DeWanna Bonner has already proven that she was a key pickup for the Dream late in the season, and she's been delivering for them in the postseason. In Game 1 against the Liberty, she had 12 points in the first half and apparently gave the team a fiery speech at halftime that helped them come out in the third quarter and dominate. They followed her lead, as well as Jordin Canada, who was everywhere on defense in that third quarter.
The Dream leaned on their veterans in Game 1, and Bonner and Canada are the two players who know what it takes to get this point in the season. They have two championships each, and they're trying to go for their third with the Dream.
Not only do the Dream have Bonner and Canada to count on, but Angel Reese continues to make an impact on both sides of the ball, and she did so in Game 1.
Rhyne Howard is the key for the Dream this series
The main key for the Dream will be Rhyne Howard, and the team will go as far as she takes them. Though she didn't have the best shooting day against the Liberty, she affected the game in many different ways that led to the win. If she raises her offensive game for the rest of the series, Gray's absence won't hurt that much for the time being.
The Dream have several options on the team that can go off at any moment, and that should be a worry for the Liberty as the series continues. As for Gray, the hope is that she returns sooner rather than later.
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