Allisha Gray Is Dropping 25 A Night, But Nobody's Ready For What Dallas Just Unleashed

Okay, Seattle fam, you gotta hear about this. The Atlanta Dream just took a brutal 85-84 loss to the defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces, even after clawing back a ridiculous 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter. You'd think they'd be crushed, right? Nah. They're still hyped for a WNBA title run, and frankly, I'm trying to figure out how they keep that energy. They're sitting at 2-1 and looking for a better start Friday night when they host the Dallas Wings.

Atlanta's Battle: Injuries and Optimism

The Dream are definitely battling through some early season stuff. Their offense is ranked just 10th in the league, clocking in at 84 points per game. That's not gonna cut it for a title contender, is it? Plus, they've got injuries. Three-time All-Star Rhyne Howard, a starter, was out Sunday in concussion protocol but at least she practiced Thursday. Brutal blow, though, Brionna Jones still hasn't played this season due to a knee injury and is ruled out for Friday's game. You can feel the frustration there, even with the "next woman up" mentality. But here's the wild part: coach Karl Smesko and his squad are straight up excited. Smesko told the media, "I think we have a lot of room for improvement, which is really exciting for what we're capable of doing. This is a long season. We're going to keep getting better. I think we have the makings of a great team." Talk about seeing the glass half full! Allisha Gray is absolutely carrying the load, leading them with 25 points per game through three contests. Howard, even with her limited play, is putting up 14.5 points, point guard Jordin Canada has 14, and new center Angel Reese is adding 10.7 points a night. So, the talent is there, but are they piecing it together fast enough?

Dallas Just Went Nuclear on the Road

Now, let's talk about the Dallas Wings because they are on a whole different vibe right now. After some tough consecutive losses where first-year coach Jose Fernandez absolutely ripped into what he called "selfishness," they flipped a switch. Dallas, sitting at 3-2, just got their three-game road trip off to a *fine* start by crushing the Chicago Sky 99-89 on Wednesday night. And get this: Paige Bueckers absolutely went off for 24 points on 11-for-19 shooting. But the real headline? Jessica Shepard dropped the league's first triple-double of the year with 18 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds! That's insanity! This huge win came on the heels of a 92-69 rout of Washington on Monday night. You can practically hear the momentum building. Bueckers confirmed the shift after Wednesday's victory, saying, "We pass up good shots for great shots. I think we're starting to get a chemistry with each other. That comes with repetition." Chemistry, baby! That's what you love to see in the early season. These teams already met on May 12, with Atlanta pulling out a 77-72 road win. Gray had 26 points in that one, and Reese added 12 points and 16 boards. But that was before Dallas unleashed this new level of selfless, triple-double-getting chaos. This Friday night rematch in Atlanta is going to be straight fire. Can the Dream, with their injured but optimistic squad and Allisha Gray's scoring prowess, contain a Dallas team that just found its stride and dropped the league's first triple-double? You absolutely cannot miss this one!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.