Allisha Gray’s Silent Strength: From Small-Town Sandersville to WNBA Stardom
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Dream’s playoff run ended Thursday night with a narrow loss to the Indiana Fever in Game 3 of the opening round, but All-Star guard Allisha Gray once again reminded fans of her importance, leading the Dream with 19 points.
The spotlight on Gray has grown brighter in 2025, yet at her core, she remains the same soft-spoken star shaped by her roots in Sandersville, Georgia.
“She always let her game do her speaking, even from a little girl,” said Dr. Alan Gray, Allisha’s father. “Sometimes, I think people are used to players being very boisterous and outspoken. We always encouraged her to be herself and let her game do her talking.”
Sandersville, known as “WaCo” to locals, is a rural town of about 5,600 people two hours south of Atlanta. For Gray, it provided both community and identity.
“It’s a small, rural community, tight-knit community. Everyone pretty much knows everybody, and it’s a community where everyone looks out for everyone,” Alan explained. “The town of Sandersville supported her in her humbleness and never wanted her to change who she is and who she continues to be.”
Her basketball journey began there, following her father around as he coached high school and AAU teams. Allisha, alongside her brother JT—who went on to play football at Georgia Tech—absorbed the game’s discipline and drive.
At Washington County High School, she played under longtime coach Sug Parker, who remembers her as a relentless competitor.
“I called her the silent killer. She’s the assassin,” Parker said. “She had the same tenacity, the same grit. It never changed her entire high school years. She worked her butt off and did the necessary things to get better daily. I think that was one of the greatest assets any player can have.”
That hard work translated into remarkable success. Gray is remembered as one of the winningest players in school history, piling up more than 80 victories against fewer than five losses. She led Washington County to an undefeated state championship and earned AAA state player of the year honors three times. Even when injuries cut her senior season short, the team still finished 26-1.
“We probably could have played a couple of colleges and come out victorious,” Parker recalled. “We were that good.”
Today, Gray’s path from Sandersville continues to inspire those who walk the same high school halls she once did.
“They’ve got a mirror in Sandersville where they can look and see what she’s walking through the same halls that we walk through,” Alan said. “She’s traveling the same streets that we do. And her journey—it’s just like their journey.”
Now an established star with the Atlanta Dream, Gray is averaging 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game this season, placing her firmly in the MVP conversation and making her a strong candidate for the All-WNBA First Team.
Her game may be louder than ever, but her roots—and her humility—remain as steady as the small town that raised her.
