The Unrivaled League has been a ‘mini theatre’ for the WNBA as many teams are looking at the combination of players that are working great on the floor and even the individual performances to make their choice about the free agency.
Paige Bueckers’ dominant Unrivalled performances highlight the critical need for her scoring on the Dallas Wings. But the case is different for Allisha Gray and Skylar Diggins.
The guard duo was on the Lunar Owls team in the inaugural season and contributed heavily. But season 2 came with a difficult choice in front of the management, to choose between the two players, and maybe the side fumbled in that decision.
Lunar Owls’ Decision Not To Protect Allisha Gray Backfired
The WNBA expansion draft might happen anytime soon, and the franchises should look at the ’mistake’ by the Owls as they prepare their list of protected players. As for the Unrivaled team, they had two protection cards (being a playoff team), one of which they obviously used on Napheesa Collier, and the other was between Skylar Diggins and the Dream guard.
But instead of taking a versatile 31-year-old guard, they chose diggings, seeing her chemistry and plays with Collier on the floor. She was their top playmaker, but the absence of Collier impacted the game plan as the Owls lost their opening three games with Diggins trying her best to get them going. The recent result highlighted their struggles without Gray.
ALLISHA GRAY VS LUNAR OWLS BC:
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) January 18, 2026
30 PTS
8 RBS
4 AST
2 STL
1 BLK
Mist BC wins, 79-65! ✨ pic.twitter.com/gNoxoZ2Pl8
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On the other end, former South Carolina star shone for her new team, Mist BC, averaging 22.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4 assists. She led the Mist to a win over the Owls. More importantly, the six-foot guard has a very versatile offensive skill set and 3×3 experience, which should have been a key factor for the choice. She is now looking for a title with the Mist side.
In the WNBA, that might not be the case, though. The Atlanta Dream will protect their MVP candidate at any cost in the expansion draft and may even use their core designation right on the guard. The player also had a close relationship with the fans and team.
Allisha Gray Sends Heartfelt Message After WNBA Exit
Fans would never forget how Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull powered the Indiana Fever to the WNBA semifinals in a dramatic win over the Atlanta Dream. Hull’s final possession steal crushed the Dream’s run in the series decider. Devastated Gray shared a message for the fans, which was a positive sign for the team, though.
“Just the organization as a whole I mean it’s in a great direction. Just with Karl, he has so much faith in us and we proved a lot of people wrong this year. A lot of people didn’t expect us to play as well and be in the position that we are in, so I just credit “Big Wheeze” (Karl Smesko) for the turnaround,” Gray said in press conference.
Allisha Gray tonight 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) September 19, 2025
• 19 points
• 12 rebounds
• 9/15 FGpic.twitter.com/CQgfNTksAm
She later lauded her teammates and mentioned she wouldn’t pick another group to be around. Fans would be excited to see her in the Dream jersey again and run it back next season.