University of North Carolina Athletics
Ms. Green Light
December 11, 2014 | Women's Basketball
By Michael Melvin
Teammates refer to sophomore sharpshooter Allisha Gray as quietly confident. Off of the court, she is as reserved as they come and often gets a hard time for her modest quietness. Yet, despite her unassuming nature as a person, Gray has proved that she is anything but reserved on the court.
Gray was Carolina's 2nd leading scorer and earned All-ACC Freshman team honors last season, and her 41.8 percent shooting from behind the three-point line was the 2nd best mark in school history. Gray was an exceptional rookie for the Tar Heels, but her role on the team is much different now than it was a year ago. Last year's ACC Freshman of the Year Diamond DeShields was Carolina's star player in 2014, but during the off-season she transferred schools, leaving the Tar Heels with a primary offensive vacancy.
“Last year I kind of had the sidekick role,” admitted Gray, “Now I can be the player I want to be and am capable of being. I have definitely gained more confidence in my game since last year.”
Gray has stepped into the leading role seamlessly, aiding in sixth-ranked Carolina's hot 8-0 start this season that includes four wins over Top 25 opponents. Yet, Gray's transformation from being a quiet freshman contributor to becoming the go-to star player as a sophomore took much more than changing just her mindset on the court.
“Last year Allisha was more reserved, quieter, and didn't talk to that many people, even on the court,” said roommate and starting forward Stephanie Mavunga.
Working hard to open herself up off of the court with her teammates over the past few months has slowly paved the way for Gray's growing leadership on the court. While her teammates may laugh and admit that she is still not exactly a talkative or extremely extroverted individual, it is evident that her efforts are impacting those around her.
“Allisha has really come out of her shell since last year, and I think it starts off the court and converts to on the court. Watching Allisha grow as a person and watching her grow as an individual on the basketball court is fun to see and now she has much more confidence in her game,” said Mavunga.
Carolina's thrilling 79-77 win over #21 Oklahoma State in November was a textbook example of the growth that the Sandersville, Georgia native has shown this season. Gray opened up the game by scoring the team's first eight points on her way to finishing with a season-high 22. But the numbers don't stop there, as she also grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded five steals, including one on the final inbounds pass to seal the hard-fought win. Through the opening four games, Gray has averaged 19.5 points and been the leading scorer in three contests, but more importantly to the eyes of any observer, she is clearly the heart and soul of the team's offensive success.
“Allisha has the green light. She can shoot when she's open because she normally will make them. She is the one we want taking the shots at the end of the game,” said head coach Sylvia Hatchell.
The style of Gray's play is almost perfectly fit for the role that she has harnessed this season. On the court, she is a composed shooter who looks as comfortable taking a three-pointer in the opening seconds as she does in the closing seconds. In the heat of the Oklahoma State game when the Tar Heels faced a barrage of comebacks, it was Gray that stepped up to hit the shots that counted.
“She's our go-to player. Her numbers are always good. She's smart. She is just a great player,” said Hatchell.
The Tar Heels traveled to Hawaii over Thanksgiving where they took out then-No. 4 Stanford by a 70-54 score. Last week, the Tar Heels won in double-overtime at Rutgers, when Gray poured in 29 points. Carolina has six games before beginning conference play in January, when competition heats up. But no matter the opponent, you can be sure that when Carolina needs someone to step up and make a play, the ball will be in the hands of Ms. Green Light: Allisha Gray.
