Will Liberty 'steal one' from Allisha Gray-less Dream in Game 2?

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart shoots over Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray, who will miss Game 2 with an injury. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Will Liberty 'steal one' from Allisha Gray-less Dream in Game 2?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Oct 6, 2026 10:56 PM ET

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The No. 8-seeded New York Liberty must win at least one road game to upset the No. 4-seeded Atlanta Dream in the best-of-five WNBA semifinals. That just became a little easier.

In a 92-82 win over the Liberty on Sunday, Dream guard Allisha Gray played just 11 minutes before leaving the game with a finger injury. On Tuesday, Dream head coach Karl Smesko announced the sharpshooter will miss Game 2 on Wednesday (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) and will be "day-to-day" for the rest of the series.

How does Allisha Gray's injury impact Game 2?

Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, who scored 19 points in Game 1, said she isn't panicking after losing to Atlanta but noted New York must show more urgency in Game 2.

"[The Dream] did what they were supposed to do. They protected their home court," Stewart said Tuesday (h/t Field Level Media). "Of course we would have loved to get [Game 1], but we know we come back here on Wednesday. Everybody always says the goal in the series is to steal one. So, that's what we'll try to do."

Breaking: Allisha Gray will miss Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals with a finger injury but is day-to-day otherwise, per coach Karl Smesko. pic.twitter.com/GtscwcxmvB
— espnW (@espnW) October 6, 2026

The Gray injury news should amplify the Liberty's sense of urgency in Game 2. Atlanta losing the guard increases New York's chances of stealing a road game.

Gray, who made her fourth straight All-Star Game appearance this season, averaged 19 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting in 44 regular-season games. In the playoffs, she has averaged 17 points per game, the third-highest mark on the team, and shot 43.6 percent from the field. She scored seven points in Game 1.

The Dream, however, are deep. In Game 1, guard Jordin Canada stepped up for Gray, scoring a team-high 25 points. Canada thinks Atlanta's depth could help it prevail again in Game 2.

"You never want to see your teammate go down; we know Allisha is a big piece of our team. She brings a lot offensively and defensively," Canada said. "But it's the next-man-up mentality that we have. We told her that we had her back and whoever comes off the bench has to bring it for her."

Atlanta's bench must deliver again in Game 2, or else the Liberty may even the series, which would make it a much more interesting contest. New York has already proved it can pull off an upset after stunning the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Lynx in Round 1.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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