Gray out, Loyd doubtful as WNBA semifinal injuries mount — SkimNews
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- Allisha Gray ruled out of Game 2 vs New York after hurting a finger in Sunday's opener; the four-time WNBA All-Star was Atlanta's leading scorer in both the regular season (19.0 PPG) and playoffs (22.0) before the injury.
- Jewell Loyd is listed as doubtful for Las Vegas's Game 2 at Golden State with a left leg injury, with Dana Evans (right knee) and Steph Talbot (left leg) also questionable — stretching an Aces rotation already missing NaLyssa Smith (season-ending).
- DeWanna Bonner and Jordin Canada combined for 48 points in Game 1 after Gray's exit — more than double their regular-season average of 20.2 — powering Atlanta's decisive third-quarter run that overcame a Liberty lead.
- The New York Liberty blamed their Game 1 loss on a self-inflicted third-quarter meltdown, with Breanna Stewart saying they "planned too much" defensively instead of "playing our style" after Gray was ruled out.
- Golden State's bench outscored Las Vegas's reserves 27-7 in Game 1, a continuation of the Valkyries' league-leading bench scoring average of 35.9 PPG, fueled in part by unanimous Sixth Player of the Year Janelle Salaun.
- Rookie center Aminata Gueye, signed by Golden State on Sept. 20 with just 14 minutes of prior professional experience, scored 9 points and was a defensive disruptor against A'ja Wilson in her first real action.
- Becky Hammon said she has "plan A, plan B and plan C" depending on Aces availability, telling reporters: "Nobody feels bad for us. It's the next woman up."
Why it matters: With Atlanta's leading scorer sidelined and Las Vegas potentially missing three rotation players, depth and bench production become decisive in both series. Golden State's 35.9-PPG bench — which outscored Vegas's reserves 27-7 in Game 1 — is a structural advantage against a depleted Aces squad, while Bonner and Canada must sustain their 48-point combined output to keep Atlanta ahead of a Liberty team that controlled the first half of Game 1 before its third-quarter collapse.
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