The Atlanta Dream managed to battle through the semifinals without Allisha Gray, who suffered a hand injury during the first part of Game 1 against the New York Liberty. Though she tried to stick out the match for her team, Gray ultimately had to accept a bench role for the duration of rounds one and two of the playoffs.
But the week between the semifinals and the first finals match against the Golden State Valkyries will likely give Gray plenty of time to recuperate, and she's expected to be back on the court (it should be noted that the Dream have not confirmed or denied this expectation). Assuming she is, her very presence will force the Valkyries to pivot — what worked for Golden State throughout the first and second rounds of playoffs may not work this time.
That's partly because Gray is an enormously talented player, but the Valkyries have played the Dream before. But Golden State hasn't played the Dream with Gray on the floor with DeWanna Bonner, and they also won't have a lot of film to watch to prepare for what that might look like. The Valkyries will be forced to pivot a bit during game one as they adjust to a court that has Gray and Bonner on the same team.
Gray's injury was serious, but not insurmountable
Gray injured her left hand, which is the same hand she shoots with. Bonner entered the game in her place, and the Dream went on to prove that they could win — and keep winning — with the new configuration. In addition to Bonner, the Dream benefited from the combined power of Angel Reese and Jordin Canada, further cementing that they are more than capable of working together to compensate for the loss of their leading scorer.
Gray's return would be good news for a team and fandom that have another problem to face: the Dream are likely playing their home finals games at the Gateway Center Arena, which can hold around 3,500 fans. This has pushed tickets upward of $1,000 and will prohibit tens of thousands of the team's fans from enjoying the game.
That's an especially tough reality when one considers the fact that the Valkyries have sold out every single home game they've played in Chase Center, aka Ballhalla. The Dream will face a tough crowd when they travel to San Francisco, and the same can't be said for when Golden States is in Atlanta.
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