Allisha Gray Day-to-Day After Hand Procedure

Allisha Gray is shooting again, and Dream fans are watching every finger tape. The four-time All-Star confirmed Tuesday she had a minor procedure on her left hand and is day-to-day for Atlanta heading into the WNBA Finals, per ESPN. She was on the floor for practice taking shots with black tape on her ring finger and pinky a day before the team travels to the Bay Area.

"Progress is great," Gray told WSB-TV when asked if she would play Game 1. "As of right now just day-to-day, and you'll see."

How we got here

Gray hurt the hand in the first half of Game 1 of the semifinal sweep of the New York Liberty on Oct. 4. She exited holding the wrist and hand area, returned with two fingers taped, then reinjured it diving for a loose ball and was ruled out before halftime with a splint under a heavy wrap.

She missed Games 2 and 3 while Atlanta closed the series. Coach Karl Smesko had listed her questionable for Game 3 and ruled her out "in the interest of caution" after warmups. The Dream still swept, and that bought Gray an eight-day runway into Finals Game 1 on Saturday in San Francisco against the Golden State Valkyries.

Neither Gray nor the team clarified whether the procedure was surgery, or exactly when it happened. What matters now is whether the tape comes off enough for her to play.

What Atlanta is missing without her

Gray averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in all 44 regular-season games. She was Atlanta's top scorer in the first-round Mystics sweep at 22.0 points per game. When the Dream's best creator is day-to-day, every Finals possession feels heavier.

Rhyne Howard already said after the Liberty closeout that she told Gray to rest and trust the group. That rest is happening. The question is whether it ends with Gray available for tip-off against a Valkyries team also chasing its first title.

Finals clock is ticking

The Dream have already shown they can win without her in the semis, but a Finals opener on the road is a different ask. Gray is the gravity on that offense, and Golden State will prepare for both versions of Atlanta: the one with her and the one still waiting.

Game 1 is Saturday. Atlanta and Golden State are both playing for a first championship, and Gray's status is the loudest subplot in the building. Dream fans just want the next update to say she is cleared, not cautious. Until then, every practice clip with tape on those fingers is appointment viewing.