WNBA guard who led All-Star voting didn’t see it coming

Allisha Grey at all times goals to be an All-Star.

However this 12 months, the 30-year-old guard has taken her sport to a different degree. She’s averaging 18.6 factors, 5.5 rebounds, and three.9 assists — all career-highs, whereas capturing 44.3% from the sector and 38.9% from three.

In flip, Grey completed first amongst all WNBA guards in All-Star voting amongst each gamers and followers. She credit her offensive leap to move coach Karl Smesko’s new offensive system.

“From a standpoint of basketball, I’m at my greatest once I don’t assume a lot,” Grey advised SB Nation, explaining that Smesko’s system has allowed her decision-making to be intuitive.

“It’s simply thinkless basketball,” Grey mentioned. “We don’t come down and arrange a play. It’s simply throughout the move of the sport. If stuff will get hectic, then we do a play name. However for essentially the most half, it’s thinkless basketball.”

Grey’s teammates aren’t stunned at her success — they noticed it coming from a mile away

“It’s been nice being teammates together with her,” Rhyne Howard, a fellow WNBA All-Star, advised SB Nation. “I knew that she might carry out like this earlier than this 12 months, with the ability to see it firsthand and seeing it come to fruition — it’s useful for everyone.”

Picture by Andrew J. Clark/ISI Pictures/ISI Pictures through Getty Photographs

Grey mentioned her aim is at all times to make the All-Star staff, however that being named an All-Star starter was the cherry on high.

Howard, who’s having an outstanding 12 months herself, mentioned that Grey’s elevation has benefited the complete staff, which is 12-9 and has the WNBA’s fifth-best file.

“You possibly can’t apply an excessive amount of stress to anyone on the staff, as a result of you’ve got anyone like her on the opposite facet,” Howard mentioned. “And so with the ability to witness it, and seeing how a lot enjoyable she’s having and the way blissful she is that this 12 months, it’s been nice to see, particularly that she’s my greatest pal as nicely. I at all times need the very best for her.”

“And so with the ability to have a firsthand look into it, and seeing how she’s been so profitable, and actually persevering with to push her to extra aggressive, and seeing her having this a lot success, I feel it’s actually, actually nice for all of us.”

Allisha Grey returns for her third All-Star efficiency

Grey made a splash final All-Star weekend, when she gained each the Expertise Problem and Three-Level Problem, accumulating greater than $115,00 in bonuses.

This 12 months, the 2017 WNBA Rookie of the Yr returns for her third All-Star look, although her standing league-wide far exceeds her earlier standing.

This 12 months, Grey recorded her first profession 30-point sport. She’s among the finest high-volume three-point shooters within the league, and has been essential to each side of the Dream’s success.

“I knew that inside the appropriate system, I might be this participant,” Grey mentioned. “All WNBA, for certain. MVP conversations? I by no means imagined myself in these conversations. But it surely’s only a testomony to my teammates. None of this could be doable with out them.”