The WNBA Playoffs have gone to an interesting new scheduling format now that we are into the semifinal round. The games aren't being staggered between the series so we have one game per night, but instead we have a pair of games Wednesday. The first game of the semifinal doubleheader is No. 8-seeded New York at No. 4 Atlanta, and the big story line for Game 2 is the Dream being without All-Star and leading scorer Allisha Gray because of an injury.
Trade on sports at Kalshi with the best promo code CBSSPORTS55 and get a $55 bonus after $25 in trades: Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. The Dream are taking 54% of handle and 57% of wagers at -1.5 at DraftKings. The total of 170.5 is seeing a solid Under lean.
The numbers for Game 1 were similar, with Atlanta closing at -3.5 and a total of 172.5 – so you can see what value the sportsbooks place on Gray -- and the Dream rallied for a 92-82 victory despite losing their star in the first half to an injury to her left (shooting) hand. Spend $5+ and get $150 in bonus bets instantly at DraftKings here: Gray was injured at the end of the first quarter but returned in the second with her pinkie and ring finger taped. But Gray apparently didn't care for that and ditched the tape shortly after checking in, only to leave for good later in the quarter.
She watched the second half from the bench with her finger in a splint. The Dream said she is day-to-day and didn't reveal what X-rays showed. Gray, who averaged a team-high 19.0 points per game during the season and scored 22 per game in the first round of the playoffs, had seven points on 1-for-5 shooting in 11 minutes of Game 1 vs.
"Nobody's going to try to be Lish because, I mean, there's only one Lish," coach Karl Smesko told the media Tuesday. "Lish is one of the best players in the league. She's an exceptional scorer and she's an excellent defender.
So being without her for a game is tough, but we have players that are ready to step up." The Dream rallied without her, blowing open the game in the third quarter by outscoring the Liberty 32-15. Late-August buyout acquisition and 39-year-old DeWanna Bonner apparently lit a fire under the Dream with a halftime speech but wouldn't say what was said. Bonner holds the WNBA record for most career playoff games and has won two titles.
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