Washington County native Allisha Gray has made a life and career out of making history.
Last Friday night, the former WACO Lady Hawks Basketball standout notched another bit of prominence to her ever-growing lore when she became the first player – man or woman – to win a professional basketball All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge in the same season.
On the first night of the two-night WNBA All-Star Weekend, Gray stole the show and the hearts of the women’s league’s meteorically rising fan base with her pinpoint passing, sniper-like shooting, stellar speed, and charismatic charm (that she no doubt developed in her hometown of Sandersville.)
The competitions – aired on the worldwide leader in sports, ESPN, and played in Phoenix, Arizona, the home of the Mercury – saw Allisha Gray play as hot as mercury when sweeping the night’s affairs.
In the Kia Skills Challenge, the five professional participants are tasked with completing a course in the quickest time possible. A true test of a complete player, ladies must showcase their speed, passing, and shooting abilities.
Gray logged a blistering competition-best 31.2 second finish in Round 1 that propelled her to the head-to-head final round, where she was able to complete the course last, giving her the advantage of knowing what time she would need to beat.
Besting the hometown Phoenix Mercury player Sophie Cunningham by 2.4 seconds in the Championship, Allisha notched the first of what would become two top titles on the night and pocketed $55,000 for her winning performance.
Following a quick break, it was back to action in the exciting evening’s nightcap – the always popular STARRY® 3-Point Contest.
In an unlucky draw, after being the final performer in the previous competition, Gray was first up in the shooting spectacle.
Fatigue proved to not be an issue for the Atlanta Dream star, though, as she daggered home a competition second-best 23 made “triples” in the initial round, advancing her to the title matchup against Jonquel Jones of the league wins leading New York Liberty.
Unlike in the Skills Challenge, Allisha would be up first in the head-to-head 3-Point Championship, setting the high mark of 22 points and placing the weight of the moment on her opponent, who fell one point shy.
Still dawning her trademark athletic playing glasses, Gray would proceed to hoist her second trophy of the night and deposit another $55,000 into her bank account for a total of $110,000 made over roughly two hours (not bad for a night’s work.)
Featured prominently to the television audience throughout the evening through her multiple winning interviews and mic’d up segments, Allisha consistently expressed congratulations and support to her adversaries and vocalized a few quick-witted “stingers” through her warm southern drawl.
With another chance to steal the spotlight in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday night, Gray once again suited up to hit the hardwood – this time in an actual 4-quarter game format as a member of Team WNBA – alongside a pair of popular rookies in transformative Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky double-double machine Angel Reese.
Her squad – the league All-Stars – as selected by fan, player, and media vote – faced off against a “who’s who” of future Hall of Famers on the United States Women’s Basketball National Team that will represent America in the coming Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France that start on Friday, July 26.
In the most attended and most watched women’s All-Star Game in history, the Sandersville standout starred again, scoring 16 points in only 22 minutes, and more importantly, providing dynamic defense with a game-high 5 steals in her squad’s upset victory in a fiercely competitive 117-109 game.
Arguably the overall weekend most valuable player among a field of the game’s elites, the point total for Gray in the All-Star Game was good for second-best on her winning team, positioning her in a probable pole spot for game MVP if not for an All-Star game record 34 point performance by Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings, all scored in the second half against the upcoming Olympians.
As well-documented, the Summer Olympics has become synonymous with the career of Gray, who was a leading member of the Gold Medal winning team in the Inaugural 3×3 Women’s Basketball competition, which featured countries from around the world playing in 3-on-3 games.
In the self-admitted highlight of her life, Allisha Gray became one of the globe’s most elite athletes in winning an Olympic Gold Medal in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. The Summer Games had been delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the recent struggles by her WNBA team, Gray is having a career-year in many respects. Averaging nearly 16 points per game, she was the lone member of the Atlanta Dream on the All-Star roster.
Allisha was traded to her home state team in January of last year from the Dallas Wings, the squad who drafted her 4th overall in the 2017 season that saw her win the league’s Rookie of the Year Award.
In her illustrious career, the three-time GHSA Player of the Year has garnered many individual accolades across the varying levels of her favorite sport; although, she takes the most pride her team’s accomplishments.
Time to tack on another title to one of Washington County’s grandest daughters, Gold Medal ‘Lish.
Allisha Gray – GHSA State Champion … NCAA Tournament Champion … Olympic Games Champion … and now … WNBA 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge Champion.
