Allisha Gray injured her left knee during the Atlanta Dream's September 1 match against the Connecticut Sun — a scary time of the season for any player on any team to go down with an injury, but especially for Gray. The Dream vet has been a crucial part of the reason her team has excelled so much this season, and she will undoubtedly be a major key to success in the playoffs.
Luckily for the Dream, Maya Caldwell saw the opportunity to step up and lead and she's filled in the gap left by Gray expertly. In fact, Caldwell has enjoyed her first and third-highest scoring games this season during the team's most recent two games, and appears to be peaking at exactly the time Atlanta needs her to the most.
The Dream have not offered a complete timeline for Gray's return
Getting Allisha Gray back to the court is necessary for Atlanta to make an impact at the playoffs, and this is a team that wants to do a lot more than show up — they want to go all the way. The Lynx are the only team who have locked in a playoff seed date, which means every position from No. 2 to No. 8 is up for grabs, and Atlanta is currently vying for that coveted second spot with the Aces and the Mercury.
Gray missed the team's September 5 game against the Sparks, and Caldwell took the opportunity to gain extra possessions and finding her spots in the paint. She was aided by the fact that the Sparks also had to find a way — or perhaps several ways — to guard Rhyne Howard, which meant the 5'11" guard was able to comfortably land shots over the heads of those shorter than her. Caldwell landed 19 shots and 7 rebounds against LA.
Gray was listed as questionable for Atlanta's Monday night game against the Sun this week, a tough reality but one that again gave Caldwell a little more room than she's been used to this season.
The Dream have benefitted from a deep roster all season, and have almost made it a point to move quietly in 2025. They've somehow caught a lot of people by surprise, but the writing has been on the wall since early this year — Atlanta is battling it out against the best this season, and it's fully possible they could end up in the Finals if they play their cards right. If they do, Caldwell will be a crucial piece of the reason why.