Gray is enjoying career-best numbers for Dream in smooth transition to Smesko's winning formula
ATLANTA (AP) — Allisha Gray and the Atlanta Dream are thriving under first-year coach Karl Smesko, enjoying personal and team success in a lineup bolstered by the additions of established frontcourt stars Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones.
Gray, already a two-time All-Star in her first two seasons in Atlanta, has enjoyed the best start of her eight-year career. The shooting guard has looked comfortable from the start in Smesko's offense which leads the WNBA in 3-pointers.
Gray's consistent production has led to wins for the Dream, who rank among the league's top four teams one year after finishing 15-25. Atlanta (10-5) had won nine of 11 before Tuesday night's 68-55 loss at Dallas.
'I mean, it's a testament to Karl,' Gray said last week. 'He's really dialed in on the details. It shows when you pay attention to small things, it really works. So he just brought a system in, and I feel like we're dialed in and locked in into the system. When we execute it right, we're successful.'
Smesko, who won more than 600 games in 23 years at Florida Gulf Coast, was hired to replace Tanisha Wright in a bold move before the season. Atlanta hasn't had a winning season since 2018, but Smesko's winning formula in college is proving to be a good fit for an Atlanta roster that suddenly looks deep and balanced.
Gray, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada and rookie Te-Hina Paopao have provided the backcourt foundation for the quick turnaround. Gray was selected as the Eastern Conference player of the month for May after averaging 21.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the month. She scored a career-high 32 points in a 89-56 win at Washington on June 15 and has reached double figures in every game.
Smesko says he's not surprised Gray has fit in so well with his offense.
'You know, I just thought that she would really thrive in this style,' Smesko said. 'I mean, she makes such good reads. She likes being in a place where she has a lot of freedom and can just look for her opportunities to attack and create shots, rather than just necessarily have to run a play every time down. She's been one of the best players in the league so far this year."
When Gray is scoring in big numbers, the Dream usually win. Atlanta is 10-1 when Gray scores at least 15 points. She made only 3 of 16 shots for 13 points in a rare cold-shooting night in the loss at Dallas.
Gray, the 2017 WNBA Rookie of the Year for Dallas, was acquired by Atlanta in a 2023 trade that sent two first-round draft picks, including a 2025 selection, to the Wings. Gray was an All-Star each of her first two seasons in Atlanta and last year became the first player to win the skills and 3-point competition at All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.
Gray is having her best season in Smesko's system. She ranks sixth in the league with her career-best average of 19.7 points. She also has career-best shooting rates overall (46.7 percent) and on 3-pointers (42.9%).
The fans have noticed. Gray was Atlanta's leader in the first fan voting for next month's WNBA All-Star Game, ranking 14th overall.
Smesko said before Tuesday night's game he believes more consistent defense could produce even better results for the Dream.
'We have good size that can protect the rim,' Smesko said. "So I thought we had the capability of being a good defensive team. Now I will say in my opinion our defense has been inconsistent. There are times when we look like we have maybe the best defense in the league. That's how good we're playing when we're all locked into it. And then there's other times where it looks to me like we're OK with trading baskets for a while.
'I think if we're looking, you know, to take the next step as a team, our offense and our transition game can get better. But I think just being consistent on the defensive end would have the biggest impact.'
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
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If there was another bet to make in this market, it's Ramirez, but something is fishy for him to be playing well and seeing his odds move from +450 to +1300. Keep an eye on Ramirez because he may be the main hedge in this market. Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler (+7000) was another player to keep an eye on for NL Rookie of the Year, but his big league debut will be delayed even further after six earned runs allowed over 2.2 innings in his most recent Triple-A start. Chandler was expected to make a debut in May or early June this season, but his struggles have prevented that. Misiorowski's teammates Chad Patrick (+3000) and Isaac Collins (+2500) have made strides in this market, but sharing the spotlight won't earn either many first place votes. The Dodgers' Hyeseong Kim (+2500) is another contender because of his .369 batting average on 31 hits through 38 games, but the sample size is still relatively low. Kim has two homers, seven stolen bags, 12 RBI, 16 runs scored, and 19 strikeouts to five walks, so there isn't a lot of encouragement there outside the batting average. It's obvious that Misiorowski is the play. I already played Misiorowski at +1100 and -110 odds and gave those out here at NBC, so if you haven't bet on him already, you are running out of time. Get involved with Misiorowski one way or another for NL Rookie of the Year as it's his award to lose. Pick: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (Total of 1.5 units risked) Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
