The first time I saw Allisha Gray on the basketball court, I knew I was watching a special player. Then again, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out this young lady is special.
At the time, she was a junior at Washington County High School in Sandersville, Ga. Gray put together an illustrious prep career. The Lady Hawks were 88-4 during her time there. Gray was a three-time Class AAA State Player of the Year, despite missing her senior year due to a torn ACL.
She led Washington County to a 32-0 record and a state title during her sophomore campaign and as a Junior, she was named Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a Junior after pouring in 32 points and grabbing eight rebounds per contest.
She was ranked as the No. 7 player in the nation and had scholarship offers from virtually every major program in the country. Gray decided on North Carolina and quickly established herself as a starter for the Tarheels. However, after two successful seasons, she shocked Tarheel Nation by transferring to the University of South Carolina. After sitting out a year due to the transfer, Gray helped the Lady Gamecocks win the 2017-18 national title.
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Gray chose to forgo her senior season and enter the WNBA Draft. It was clear she made the right decision when her name was called as the fourth overall pick in the entire draft by the Dallas Wings. It did not take long for her to crack the lineup, and by season’s end, she was averaging over 13 points per game and was an easy choice as The WNBA Rookie of the Year. She has now played four seasons in the WNBA, establishing herself as one of the league’s most well-rounded guards.
This summer, Gray played for Team USA in an Olympic qualifier for the inaugural 3-on-3 basketball competition. She shined in the event, which was held in Voiron, France earlier this month, earning MVP honors as Team USA went 6-1, and captured the title. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that, this week, as the official 3×3 team was announced, Allisha Gray was one of the four players selected to don the red, white and blue. Also, this is not the first time she has suited up for Team USA. Gray sports an impressive record of 18-2 as a member of Team USA and now has a chance to improve on that mark later this month when she travels to Tokyo, Japan for the 2021 Olympics.
From now on, when people talk about the best athletes to hail from the CSRA, Allisha Gray’s name should be in the discussion.
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com.
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