The New York Liberty’s magical 2024 championship run was marred by injuries and unexpected lows. Amidst all that, however, they turned their Brooklyn Gameday staple – “We all we got, we all we need” – into a mantra to win it all. Two years later, as they tried to repeat that feat under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco, the script was flipped in the semifinals against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.

After finishing the regular season as one of the league’s best defensive units, limiting the fast break and second-chance points, the Dream set the tone for their first semifinals return since 2018. But then they saw one of their anchors, Allisha Gray, leave the game in the opening quarter itself. They didn’t break. They simply adapted their opponents’ mantra. Amid that, head coach Karl Smesko has now shared an update on Gray’s status that could decide whether the next few games will be the end of the road.

“Allisha’s out tomorrow. She had an appointment today; day-to-day after that,” he said to the reporters. “She said it was an X-ray on her finger. I don’t have any more information to give regarding it.”

Eleven minutes into the first quarter and the New York Liberty in a close 15-14 lead, Gray appeared to injure her left pinkie and ring fingers on a deflection. She first exited the game but then returned in the next period with her fingers taped up. That, however, did not stay long.

Gray removed the tape after just one possession, only to grab the same hand in visible pain again while attempting to intercept a cross-court pass from Sabrina Ionescu. She dove for a loose ball and immediately reached for the injured hand. After re-injuring her shooting hand, she left the game for good. She scored seven points in eleven minutes.

The Dream then had a commanding third quarter with defensive stops that didn’t allow the Liberty to even sniff the paint en route to their 92-82 win. With just a little over 24 hours left before the Dream face the Liberty at State Farm Arena, Smesko reported the next steps.

Karl Smesko shares what’s next as the Dream send messages to Gray

The next man up is the only option left for the Dream that are one step closer to their ring already. They certainly don’t have a lack of depth to fill in for Gray.

“Nobody’s going to try to be Lish because, I mean, there’s only one Lish. Lish is one of the best players in the league. She’s an exceptional scorer and she’s an excellent defender. So being without her for a game is tough, but we have players that are ready to step up.

“It’s not who you don’t have; it’s how well do the players who are on the floor, how well are they able to execute the game plan, and how well are they able to play? And I expect our team to play really well.”

Veteran DeWanna Bonner who was signed midseason took up Gray’s minutes, brought in her playoff experience and shot 23 points. She is likey to move into the starters until Gray’s return. Jordin Canada also stepped up, exploding for 25 points. She contributed to Atlanta forcing 21 Liberty turnovers, with the Dream turning those mistakes into 32 points on their way to the win.

While Smesko doesn’t have a timeline for Gray’s return, others are focusing on the positives.

Gray herself remains in “good” spirits, Rhyne Howard said after the game.

“Knowing that Allisha will be out, it hurts. It sucks,” Dream forward Naz Hillmon said. “I know how much she would want to be on the floor with us. We know how much we use her offensively and defensively. The next-woman-up mentality is for everybody, not just the players coming off the bench or whoever’s going to fill in her role.

“Nobody’s going to be able to do what Allisha Gray does. We all know that. But like you said, we can all put a little bit more on our plate, and that’s what our mentality is.”

The Dream fans hurt as they see the one chance drift away

With Gray now set to miss the upcoming game, the timing could hardly be worse. The Dream are facing a Liberty team led by Breanna Stewart, a veteran who knows exactly what the pressure of the playoffs demands. Even one game without a player of Gray’s experience could give New York the opening it needs to level the series, panicking the fans.

“Smh tape them fingers Lish this the best chance at a damn ring. You don’t need to give Stewie a chance here,” a fan wrote. Another added, “ATL needs to play with straight hate in their hearts against NY. If a team took out my elite SG for a few games. I would be a complete menace until the series is over with.”

“Win next game and don’t let her play till a potential game 5 or Finals,” one fan suggested. While another pointed out, “WNBA injury updates are mad weird… because they’re probably not gonna say she’s out for the f**king rest of the playoffs every game they’re just gonna say she’s not playing… I still believe in a dream, though.”

Allisha Gray led Atlanta in scoring during the regular season, averaging 19 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 44 games. She carried that production into the postseason, averaging 22 points while playing a key role in the Dream’s back-to-back wins over the Washington Mystics in the first round. So losing that kind of production is a significant blow, but if Game 1 showed anything, it’s that the Dream know how to hold down the fort.

That sentiment was echoed by a fan who saw one important positive in the update, writing, “Sucks for her, glad it’s not a season-ending for her.”

For now, that may be the biggest relief for Atlanta. Allisha Gray will miss Game 2, but the update leaves the door open for her return, giving the Dream a chance to keep pushing through the series while hoping their star guard can get back on the floor sooner rather than later.