Two weeks before the opening of WNBA training camp, Allisha Gray was relaxing in her happy place.
She was out on a lake on a Saturday afternoon, knowing that she was going to be in the public eye soon enough as a star of the Atlanta Dream.
And that April 11 day on the lake was much needed.
Once Season 2 of the Unrivaled season ended, the realization hit for many WNBA players as it did for fans, workers, and media members alike: there may not be a season if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) wasn’t reached.
When word came in during late March that a deal had been reached, players could relax. They could negotiate new deals and get ready for the season, even with an expedited timeline.
For Gray, that’s either being with her family, on the golf course, building Legos, or on the lake.
When you see her around town in Atlanta, she’s superstar Allisha Gray.
But on the lake in solitude, she’s just Lish.
She’s spent a lot of time outdoors growing up, and that includes time on the lake, fishing with her mom.
On this day in April, Gray wrapped up the day just before 3 p.m., exiting the boat and showing off her haul.
She stands proudly, dressed head to toe in a Nike and Jordan jumpsuit, holding somewhere between 20 and 30 fish on two fish hooks.
It’s her comfort zone. Her safe place. The place where she can just be herself.
Because while you may see the player who shoots lights out from behind the arc, wearing goggles, giving interviews in her natural southern drawl, you only see the person that she wants you to see.
You don’t see the person who went through the journey to get to the WNBA, to the Dream. You don’t see the competitor who found her home in Atlanta.
You don’t see the girl from Sandersville, Ga.
You don’t see how Lish became Lish.
Just a kid from Sandersville
During the second Saturday of October each year, Sandersville, the County Seat of Washington County, Ga., comes together for its annual Kaolin Festival. For more than 60 years, the 5,800 residents lined the sidewalks of Haynes Street with floats, vendors, and more, celebrating the history of the small Georgia town.
It’s known as the Kaolin Capital of the World, due to its expansive deposit of kaolin clay.
Kaolin is everywhere you look. There’s Thiele Kaolin LLC, the mining company in the town, whose office is located on Kaolin Road.
For the outsiders, they may not appreciate – or even know – what Kaolin is, but those from Sandersville know what it is and appreciate it as their own.
Just like they do with Gray.
Gray is one of four children born to Allen and Annie Gray in Sandersville.
It’s the town where she grew up, played basketball, and had the experience of, well, having her dad nearby at all times.
“She was a blessing, a wonderful child, and she was always like she is now,” Allen Gray told The IX Sports. “She’s always done what she’s supposed to do, be where she’s supposed to be when she’s supposed to be there. There were just no issues as a parent. I was her high school principal, and the only time she came to my office was to say ‘hello.’ She’s just always been a wonderful young lady. We’re very blessed.”
For Allisha Gray, who is the second oldest of her siblings Marlo East, A.J., and Ashley, her dad was more than her principal, but he and her mom were her Day 1s since she picked up a basketball.
“My parents have been my support system ever since I started dribbling the basketball. No matter where I’m in the world, they always make time to come see me,” she told The IX Sports. “My parents have sacrificed so much for me. I remember back in the AAU days, we would have practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I actually played for an AAU team in Atlanta, and my parents literally drove two hours up, two hours back on Tuesday and Thursday, and then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we had an AAU tournament.
“So it’s just things like that when my parents sacrificed their time and their summer, their summer vacations just to allow me to follow my dreams.”
She showed the promise of having a future on the hardwood at a young age. She was a three-time Class 3A Player of the Year by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, and in her junior season she averaged 32 points, 3.4 assists, and 5.2 steals.
That was the high-water mark for her in high school because after being named Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year and leading her team to a state championship, Gray had to sit out her senior season with injuries to her MCL, ACL, and meniscus.
“I feel like I can go back to my old self when I’m playing. Maybe a new me, because when you come back, they say your knee is even stronger,” Gray told local reporters when she recovered.
Despite not playing in her senior season, that junior season performance was enough to catch the eye of the top coaches around the country – including South Carolina’s Dawn Staley.
“The first time that I saw her was her junior or sophomore year in high school,” Staley told The IX Sports. “She came to our Elite Camp. We were familiar with her and her family, and she played very similar to how she plays today. Lish is always working and never takes plays off. It’s been fun seeing her develop and getting better. With her, the better the competition she faces, the better she plays.”
Coach Staley was familiar with Gray’s game from watching her film and from Camp Elite. She did make one trip to Sandersville but hasn’t been back since.
“The last time I was down there, I was stopped by the state troopers twice. Once coming in, once leaving,” Staley said with a laugh. “I’ll leave it up to you to imagine why. They were nice, but I had to throw out Lish’s name to get out of it.”
It makes sense that they would know her there. Not only is she a multi-time All-Star, a world champion for Unrivaled, and a gold medalist, which would be enough on its own for people to know who she is, but she’s immortalized in the community, too.
In the middle of downtown Sandersville is a mural of Gray on the side of a building, showcasing her in her Team USA jersey.
“The city came together for me. The owner of the building, their name is Sookie, I believe, and they allowed the town to paint a mural on their building,” Gray said. “It just shows being a small town kid and how the support of being a hometown kid from all of the people back home. They’re so proud and happy for me, and it’s just cool that I get to make them proud and just being from the small town of Sandersville, it just shows you that if you put in the hard work, you can make it to the big stage as well.”
It’s a moment that, when mentioned to him, brought a big smile to the face of her father.
“We appreciate the way that they support her, and the way they turned out for her,” Allen Gray said. “The way that they put a mural up is a representation of how proud they are of her and all of her accomplishments.”
A trip up north … and south
Following her historic high school season, Allisha Gray committed to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
She spent her freshman and sophomore seasons playing for the Tar Heels, averaging 14.7 points and shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc in her two seasons there.
It was also at Chapel Hill where she met her best friend and future college roommate, A’ja Wilson.
“I met Lish on my official visit to the University of North Carolina, and she was like my host,” Wilson told The IX Sports. “And I remember we went to the North Carolina State Fair, and there was this ride. It was like this gravity ride, it’s like a spaceship, and it doesn’t have any seatbelts or anything because it goes so fast that you’re not supposed to move.
“Allisha and I were not having it after that ride. I remember just us looking at each other like ‘never again.’ And we looked at each other, and we got off that ride, and we instantly just started heading to a trash can, just waiting to see what’s going to happen. Everyone else continued to ride rides, and we’re just like, we’re not just gonna get something to eat. I think that’s when our friendship really started.”
When Gray was reminded of that story, she flashed that signature smile we’ve become accustomed to seeing.
“We had a liking for each other because we both were chill and quiet and laid back, so we didn’t really talk,” Gray recounted. “So me and A’ja literally just talked to each other, and then we saw this ride. It was like, ‘you want to try it?’ We were like, ‘yeah, let’s try it.’ So then we get on the ride, and I kid you not – me and A’ja were sick that whole state fair ride.”
Wilson ultimately ended up going to South Carolina while Gray stayed at North Carolina. Despite the distance, the two stayed in touch, with the idea in their head that it would be cool to play together.
Sure enough, that idea became a reality when Gray transferred to the University of South Carolina after her sophomore year to become a member of the Gamecocks.
“It’s just funny because we were in that moment, and that was like the start of our friendship. Then, when I decided to transfer to South Carolina, it came full circle because A’ja was my host on my official visit to South Carolina, so it was cool,” Gray said. “Then, she chose me to be her roommate and stuff like that. So it was cool just having that familiarity with each other.”
Wilson said that the two saw each other since her visit and stayed friends, but it was when Gray stepped foot on the Columbia, South Carolina campus that they really clicked.
“We still kind of just met each other through Final Fours or Elite Eights where we would see each other, and then finally when she got to the University of South Carolina, she became my roommate, and we just instantly clicked,” Wilson said. “I think we are polar opposites, but that’s what makes us like gel so well.”
Staley, the WNBA legend and three-time NCAA championship-winning coach of South Carolina, said that Gray was shy when she first touched down on campus, but she expected that based on prior interactions.
“Lish was always quiet. It didn’t mean she didn’t talk. She talked. Her talking was just very lean,” Staley explained. “She tells you how she feels, but she’s more of a listener. She initiates convos, fills those up, and exits.”
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Gray made sure to make a little noise on her way out too, leading the Gamecocks to a 33-4 record and taking down Mississippi State to win the 2017 title alongside Wilson.
Staley knew that the team was special. Looking back on it nearly a decade later, she realized just how special that duo of Gray and Wilson was.
“It was different because Lish was always on the scout team and she had to sit out one year when she transferred,” Staley explained. “But magic started happening the next year. When we had to slide Lish to the 4 and A’ja to the 5, it created a combo that was hard to beat. Lish was a mismatch for anyone and obviously A’ja was quicker as a big. It created an opportunity for us to win our first title in 2017. They elevated each other. A’ja wouldn’t let her take days off and vice versa.”
The relationship that Staley has with her players extends just beyond college. As those players reach the WNBA, other professional leagues, or other walks of life, Staley makes it clear that once a Gamecock, always a Gamecock.
“I’m proud of all of them. I’m proud of a program that produces pros,” Staley said. “I’m proud to see them on TV all of the time. Any given night, I can put on a WNBA game and see one of my kids. One of my babies. I just really like that.”
Staley is trying to pass that on to her current players at South Carolina, too.
Take, for example, when the entire women’s basketball team made the trip down from South Carolina to Atlanta to watch the Dream take on the Indiana Fever for their Juneteenth game.
Playing in the game were Gray, Te-Hina Paopao, Madina Okot, Aliyah Boston, and Raven Johnson.
Five former Gamecocks for the current generation of players to see that it’s a sisterhood, a bond, for life.
“That’s an unwritten rule,” Staley said. “You take care of your sisters no matter how old or young you or they are.”
It’s a mantra that Gray has followed with two other Gamecocks on her team now in Okot and Paopao. Since graduating from South Carolina, Gray will make trips back to her college town to visit her coach, who has turned into more than just a coach, but a part of her life.
“It’s just cool that once I left South Carolina, the relationship stayed,” Gray explained. “To this day, I can FaceTime Coach Staley, and even when I go down to South Carolina for a visit, I stay at Coach’s house. It’s just little things like that. Just building a lifelong relationship because she’s like a player’s coach. Once you stop dribbling the ball for her, she’s not moving on to the next person. You have a relationship with her for life.”
The little things matter in the WNBA, too
When you think about Gray in the WNBA, you think about Atlanta. That makes sense since she’s had a number of accolades since joining the Dream.
It’s easy to forget, though, that she’s played six of her 10 seasons in the league in Dallas after being selected No. 4 overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft. Current and former teammates, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Nia Coffey, and Brionna Jones, also went in the first round.
It wasn’t that Gray struggled in Dallas.
Hardly.
After all, she beat No. 1 pick Kelsey Plum for Rookie of the Year in 2017 and finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022.
It just didn’t feel like it was the right fit for her.
“When she was in Dallas, we didn’t get to as many games, but we tried to pick the games where they had two or three in a row at home,” Allen Gray said.
Those trips became easier after the 2022 season when Dallas traded Allisha Gray to Atlanta in exchange for the No. 3 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft (Maddy Siegrist) and a 2025 first-round pick (acquired by the Washington Mystics, who selected Georgia Amoore).
“I was with Dallas, and I was looking for a change in my career because I needed somewhere to spread my wings,” Gray said. “And Atlanta came up on the radar, and it was a no-brainer for me. I’m like, ‘Yeah, like I’m back close to home. Like they’re building something like nice here.’”
It also allowed her family to be closer to her and see her not just more often, but each and every game.
“For her to come to Atlanta was just exciting because we’re two and a half hours away, so we’re at every home game, and now the organization has it so that families can go on road trips,” Allen Gray said. “We hadn’t had an opportunity to take advantage of that.”
Allisha Gray loves having her family nearby to watch her play. Not just her parents, either, but her siblings and their children.
On a 2026 road trip, she brought her nephew on a trip with her to the West Coast. A video went viral when he told her about her ESPY nomination.
“My parents saw the hard work that I put in, and it’s just cool that they get to see the success of their sacrifices by being able to see me play in person rather than being on TV,” Gray explained. “I mean, that just makes me so happy because I can never repay my parents back on like how much money they spent on me and stuff. So it’s just like doing little things like this by allowing them to go on like team trips and flying on like the private planes and stuff, and allowing them like to like come watch practice and like come to the game stuff, it’s just little perks like that that I that I enjoy that my parents and my family get to experience.”
Coming to Atlanta was just beginning. But little did she know what was in store for her.
A star is born
For those who watched her hoop in high school, AAU, college, or in Dallas, it was no secret that Gray was a hooper. A three-level scorer. A lights-out shooter.
But that wasn’t realized by the basketball community as a whole until the All-Star Game in 2024.
The event was held in Phoenix, Ariz., and while Gray was an All-Star the season before for the first time, 2024 was the breakout performance for her. Gray played in the game, or course, but also won the Skills Challenge and 3-point contest. She was the first player to accomplish the feat at the same event.
From that moment on, she started to realize something: I’m a star.
“I always say that changed my life. Like I came in with like a couple of 1,000 followers, and then after All-Star break, I’m looking at like hundreds and hundreds of 1000s of followers,” Gray said, with a laugh. “I think from then on, my life changed because I remember even after that weekend, I took a trip to Disney World, and it was like people at Disney World recognizing who I am. I’m like, ‘Yeah, my life has definitely changed.’”
It didn’t happen overnight, even if it seemed like it did.
The Dream, as a whole, struggled in 2024, which introduced a new era in Atlanta.
The team hired Karl Smesko, the long-time head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University, to be its new head coach. Smesko’s fast-paced offense puts a focus on shooting the basketball with players getting the best shot possible.
For a shooter like Gray, she was excited when he was announced as the hire.
“I’m very excited for this year,” Gray told me with a smile on her face during the first day of practice in 2025. “We’re going to shoot a lot of threes.”
They did – and she did, too.
It was the beginning of putting Atlanta basketball back on the map. The Dream made splashes in free agency by bringing in Jones and Brittney Griner, and while they were picked to finish No. 7 before the season, the team put together a franchise-record season, finishing as the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
“He just allows me to play free, and allows me to spread my wings and just play my game,” Gray said of Smesko. “I feel like I’ve always been that player. It’s just that sometimes, you gotta find the right fit. And me coming to Atlanta was like that fit for me, where I was really able to take over and really score it.”
It meant a lot to Smesko to have a veteran like Gray believe in him and his vision from Day 1.
“I think it’s really important that players believe in what you’re doing if you want to get anything accomplished. Because I don’t care how good your ideas are, it is the players who execute them, and they’re going to make it work,” Smesko explained. “Lish was one of the people that was willing to try anything right away. We do things a little differently, and we have a different language, and they’ve been in the league a long time. They could have taken it a different way, but they were excited about it, and they wanted to give it a go.”
The team broke records. Gray was elevated to the top of the opposition’s scouting report. She was getting more interview requests last year from local and national media than she did in her previous eight seasons in the league combined.
She was a household name.
But then, the playoffs began, and the Dream lost to the Indiana Fever in three games despite the Fever being without Caitlin Clark for the entire series.
Gray finished in the top four in MVP voting and was selected to the All-WNBA first team, but the loss still left a sour taste in her mouth.
“I never want to experience that feeling again,” Gray said, in reflection.
Bring in the reinforcements
Remember the trade that brought her to Atlanta? Well, it wasn’t just the organization that wanted her here – and to be clear, they 100 percent did – but it was also at the behest of one specific person: Rhyne Howard.
“I found out that Rhy actually requested me, so that made it even more cool for me,” Gray said.
The two – along with Naz Hillmon, who was part of the foundation of the Dream from 2022 – have become inseparable.
They are professionals, yes, but they are also best friends off the court.
Gray and Howard can often be found on the golf course during days off – those look a little bit different now due to the growing eyes on the team – as well as filming several food reviews and other TikToks together.
After that loss to Indiana last year in the playoffs, Howard went to the front office and asked them to get them more help to make a championship run with this squad.
They listened.
“Being here and being a part of the group that set the foundation, we didn’t want to continue to feel like the franchise was nothing,” Howard said during the team’s season-opening press conference. “We didn’t want it to feel like what we came into. Basketball is what we do to make our money and business, but you still need the support around you to feel supported and have fun and what we are doing.”
And like with Lish, Howard had a specific player in mind to join the team: Angel Reese.
“If Rhy sends for you, you better get in the car and come,” Gray said. “When she sends for you in that car, you better get in that car because she ain’t circling the block for you again.”
The team pushed their chips all-in with the acquisition of Reese, trading multiple first-round picks for her.
She’s more than lived up to the expectations, breaking the single-season rebound record and single-game rebound record, while elevating her offense and defense.
This is where she wanted to be, too.
She wanted to be in Atlanta, but she wanted to be with Gray and Howard.
“They’re great vets,” Reese told The IX Sports. “Outside of the basketball stuff, they always are making sure that I’m good. Like they’re the first people to check on me with anything that’s going on. Basketball-wise, you don’t have to do it once the game is done, they don’t have to talk, because this is a business, honestly. But they genuinely care about me and the sisterhood in the locker room has been amazing. It’s something that I really needed, so I’m really grateful for them.”
And while they are teaching Reese how to win – she’ll be making her first playoff appearance in her three-year career with Atlanta – she’s teaching Gray how to be what she is off of the court.
A superstar.
“I was telling Lish that you’re a superstar, and she doesn’t realize that all the time. When we go places, they want to meet certain people,” Reese told The IX Sports. “She loves T.I., so I’m like, ‘You’re a superstar.’ Like, you go through the back entrance, you don’t go through the front.
“I’m trying to show her that you’re a star. All of those chants are for you, because you’re a superstar, and you belong here.”
It’s something that Gray has taken time to adjust to – even with that All-Star performance a couple of years ago.
“I guess it’s just like that humble nature of me. But yeah, Angel like she reiterates over and over that, ‘I am Atlanta. There are no rules. We are Atlanta. We are superstars, and we need to start acting like it.’
“I’m like, you know what? Yeah, you’re right. I am a superstar. Like I do need to take advantage of my perks.”
That came to fruition during Atlanta’s Birthday Bash in May, when she got to see T.I. in concert.
When asked about her favorite song, Gray said, “Big Things Poppin’,” which was fitting for the play of the Dream this year.
Gray even got to meet The Rubber Band Man after the show.
A superstar, indeed.
Quiet no longer
After each game, win or lose, the Dream huddle in front of their bench. Hillmon traditionally addressed the group first, serving as Atlanta’s vocal leader.
That’s not a role that Gray takes on, but that doesn’t mean that she is the quiet person that everyone thinks she is.
Take, for instance, an in-arena, mid-timeout video package that played in Gateway Center Arena.
Over the beat of Glorilla’s “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME,” Gray and Howard were rapping the lines to Dr. Suess’ Green Eggs and Ham over the beat.
Players like Jones, Paopao, and Indya Nivar had to cover their mouths to stifle their laughter.
It’s an example of the personality that sometimes shines through from Gray, despite the quiet, shy demeanor.
When asked about her quiet demeanor, Staley interrupted the question.
“She’s not quiet anymore,” she said, with a laugh. “She’s incredibly funny.”
And she’s not afraid to be the butt of the joke, either. During a video series called “Rewind the Tape,” I asked Gray to go over her high school scouting report.
In the report, it said that she had “springs in her legs” for her ability to jump.
She made a joke about needing some WD-40 for her knees now.
Likewise, during the team’s first preseason game, there was a Spanish player on the Dream’s training camp roster named Maite Cazorla.
During a pre-game media session, Gray was asked if she could speak Spanish or would learn how to from her teammate.
She said, “Me llamo Lish. Adios,” before ending the interview with a laugh.
Despite claiming that she doesn’t block shots, Gray blocks a fair number, especially for a guard.
But for her, she denies it and says, “That’s not me. That’s AI.”
“She is a joy to be around. She’s someone that is, once you get her out of her comfort zone, she’s just so much fun,” Wilson said. “She’s always down to do whatever, however, whenever. And I remember we would just take random road trips to go do Chick-fil-A, knowing that they’re gonna upset our stomachs. But it’s just something we would do. I think we bring the kid out of each other, but she’s definitely just a big kid.”
That big kid is on full display – except when it’s time to hoop.
She’s a competitive person. If she’s participating in an event, she wants to win.
“Her brother, A.J., they are about a year apart,” her dad explained. “They grew up being very, very competitive with each other, so she’s always been very, very competitive.”
She’s perhaps no more competitive than when the Dream take on the Aces – her best friend’s team.
The Aces hold the head-to-head with them, and it’s a matchup that Gray takes to heart each time the two teams play.
When both Wilson and Gray entered the league, they each had a specific goal in mind. For Wilson, it was to block one of Gray’s shots. For Gray, to knock down a three over Wilson.
Gray hit her shot first, and while Wilson had to wait, she eventually met Gray at the rim and got her block, too.
“I don’t really shit talk to Lish because she already knows. She knows just by my looks. She’s like, ‘OK, I don’t want to mess with A’ja today,’” Wilson said. “But yeah, definitely, we had that rivalry just between us. Obviously, it’s friends, it’s competitors, and I’m really trying to block her shot. She does the same for me, and I think it’s a healthy rivalry that we have. But most definitely, I don’t really talk a lot of shit because she already knows.”
Prior to the block, Wilson said that, “Whenever I get her, they’re gonna have to fetch it out of the stands.”
Gray loves the fire that Wilson plays with, and she wants to bring it right back to her.
“We both know it’s no friends on the court. I’m trying to beat her, and she’s trying to beat me, and she won’t let me win because if I win, I’m talking trash until I meet you again,” Gray said, with a laugh. “We know when to turn on and when to turn off. People know us as being best friends, but I know that once I step on the court, at that moment, A’ja is not my best friend. She’s my opponent.
“But off the court, like once the clock goes to double zeros and the game’s over, and then we return to our normal selves. The respect that we have for each other, and we know the goals we’re trying to accomplish, and we know how to put things to the side and compete. And then once it’s over, we’re back friends again.”
Big brand Lish
As she continues to embrace being a superstar, Gray is attracting attention from big sports brands, too.
In August 2026, the Dream hosted “Goggle Lish” night to celebrate the release of her signature Nike goggles that are a staple of her getup on the court.
Each fan in attendance received a pair of replica goggles to mark the occasion.
It’s something that made her dad, decked out in his own authentic goggles and an Allisha Gray goggle T-shirt, smile from ear to ear.
“This is amazing,” Allen Gray told The IX Sports on the night of the event. “And it’s funny because this is the T-shirt that was handed out two years ago, and I was going to take it and frame it, so it was still in the pack. And then when this happened, I had to pull it out. I love it, and I’m so proud of her.”
Everyone was in on the act – even Smesko, who was decked out in his own goggles and t-shirt – one game after wearing his Barbie merchandise to support Reese on Barbie Night.
“I just want to show support for Lish. I mean, she’s just been so great to work with for these two years,” Smesko said. “Her energy and wanting to listen and buy into things right from the very start has made this transition for me a lot easier. Just having her around, and she’s been such a remarkable player these last two years.
“And I don’t know. I never would have thought that I’d have sunglasses on my head as a coach in a game and stuff like that, but you know anything for Lish. We think the world of her.”
The Nike deal came through, as did getting her own signature pair of A’Two A’ja Wilson shoes.
As of publication, there is one pair that is available for purchase for fans, but Gray has worn Iron Man-themed player exclusives (PEs), as well as Fortnite PEs.
“I can’t tell you. I cannot tell you,” Wilson told The IX Sports in June when trying to get her to spill the news about a potential PE coming for her friend. “That’s her news to break for if she is, or if she’s not, but I can’t tell you that. But it’s definitely something special. And I always beam with so much more when she wears my shoes because she doesn’t have to, but she chooses to, and I’m glad that she likes it.”
It also doesn’t hurt that the league signed a new CBA, which allowed players to be paid fairly.
Last year, during the final season of the previous CBA, Gray made $190,000. After the new agreement was reached, when the overwhelming majority of players were free agents, Gray inked a new deal worth $1,190,000 in 2026 that increases over the next two seasons.
“It’s so crazy because like you’re young and you just remember like being in the backyard playing, and then you get to high school, and then you get to college, and then you get to the pros, and it’s just like I just sit back and I’ll be like, I be like, ‘wow, I made it,’” Gray reflected.
“Then, with the new CBA money, I’m like, ‘whoa, I really made it,’ because then it’s just like it allows me to throw a couple extra bucks to my parents and get them nice things that I wasn’t able to do in the past. So it’s just like I wake up looking at that bank account, and you know, just being able to realize that, wow. Like, I did it! I really made it!”
The added attention isn’t always positive attention. It’s been that way throughout the league over the last few years. With the added eyeballs comes the added trolls.
It isn’t new to Gray.
That mural in her hometown? It was vandalized in 2022 with racist comments written on it by three men.
“I just give my energy to the people who deserve it. I give my energy to people that also reciprocate that same energy back to me,” she said. “I’m not gonna waste my time on negative people and bad thoughts because that can take a toll on your mental health, as well.
“So I think for me, I’m good at reading a person. Before I intrude on somebody or talk to them, I kind of like to sit back and study you and see how you move and how you talk to people. Are you nice? Are you respectful? And then from there, after my first conversation with you, I know that like, ‘OK, this is somebody that I can continue to talk to, or like, no, this is a one-time conversation for me, because for me, like I’ve always told, first impressions mean a lot. My spirit is too positive and fun to be wasted on negative people.”
Still one goal to achieve
During the All-Star break this year, Gray joined her fellow All-Stars at the Barack Obama Presidential Center for a practice before the game.
The namesake came out and introduced himself to players and took photos – including with Gray.
Add that to the list of big-time moments for her to achieve this year, along with meeting T.I. and even having the rapper personalize a message for her during her Goggle Lish game.
“I was so happy. That made my night,” Gray told reporters after the game. “I took a picture with Obama, a picture with T.I, and got a personal message video from T.I. Year made.”
But there is one more thing that could make her year even better.
Despite all of the hardware. Despite being a multi-millionaire from playing the game that she has loved since she was playing in the backyard as a kid, Gray still has more to accomplish.
She didn’t say win the MVP, though she wouldn’t mind it.
She didn’t say lead the league in scoring (“the S in SG stands for shooting,” she said).
No.
The one goal that she wants to accomplish has nothing to do with her. It has to do with her team.
“The W Championship. That’s literally like the only thing from my career that is missing is a W Championship, and I feel like that’s something everybody wants to win,” Gray explained. “I really do feel like we have the team to accomplish that goal. We just gotta really lock in and stick to the game plan and really hone down on like the little minor mistakes that we tend to make. But I truly believe that we have the team to accomplish that goal this season.”
Even if that doesn’t happen this year, the team is confident in the players they have and the vision that they have for the future.
And that future, no matter what, includes Gray.
Something that her friends and family are proud of.
“With Lish, I think she’s happy in Atlanta. They allowed her to grow up,” Staley said. “She has a handful of friends who are super competitive and allowed her to grow. They are rising together at the top of their games.”
“I’m glad that she’s seeing pieces surrounding her to be able to help her drive and continue to drive,” Wilson added. “But, I think she feels really good in Atlanta. I’m just glad that she’s found a home for herself. Because it shouldn’t be like, ‘no, I’m stable here,’ but it should be ‘I’m trying to make my footprint here.’ That’s what Lish is doing.”
And as far as her family goes, they couldn’t be happier to have her nearby.
“Having her come to Atlanta has been a blessing for us as a family, for her as a player,” Allen Gray said. “The class and the way that this organization is run is somewhere that she feels at home. She wants to end her career here because of the support and the wraparound services that they offer here in Atlanta. All of her needs are met, all of her requests are met, and the way that they take care of our daughter, we really appreciate it.”
So, all that leaves is Gray.
Just a kid from Sandersville. A quiet kid who loves the outdoors. Loves her family, her friends, her people.
She’s as close to her hometown as she can be, but in Atlanta, she is home.
And that is where she wants to stay.
“I’m loved here in Atlanta. Atlanta has made me like this organization has made me feel so great about myself,” she said. “That’s why when it was time to extend and re-sign, there was no hesitation for me. This is a place I definitely want to retire and finish my career, playing for the Dream.
“It’s just the support here is so amazing. The little kids really like to make me feel good because no matter how I play, I can have an on night, off night; they don’t see that. All they see me as is Allisha the person, and they make me feel good regardless of the game that I have.”
