Liberty vs. Dream WNBA semifinal playoff picks: Absence of star Allisha Gray looms large in Wednesday's Game 2

The WNBA Playoffs have gone to an interesting new scheduling format now that we are into the semifinal round. The games aren't being staggered between the series so we have one game per night, but instead we have a pair of games Wednesday. The first game of the semifinal doubleheader is No. 8-seeded New York at No. 4 Atlanta, and the big story line for Game 2 is the Dream being without All-Star and leading scorer Allisha Gray because of an injury. Trade on sports at Kalshi with the best promo code CBSSPORTS55 and get a $55 bonus after $25 in trades:

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Dream are taking 54% of handle and 57% of wagers at -1.5 at DraftKings. The total of 170.5 is seeing a solid Under lean. The numbers for Game 1 were similar, with Atlanta closing at -3.5 and a total of 172.5 – so you can see what value the sportsbooks place on Gray -- and the Dream rallied for a 92-82 victory despite losing their star in the first half to an injury to her left (shooting) hand. Spend $5+ and get $150 in bonus bets instantly at DraftKings here:

Gray was injured at the end of the first quarter but returned in the second with her pinkie and ring finger taped. But Gray apparently didn't care for that and ditched the tape shortly after checking in, only to leave for good later in the quarter. She watched the second half from the bench with her finger in a splint.

The Dream said she is day-to-day and didn't reveal what X-rays showed. Gray, who averaged a team-high 19.0 points per game during the season and scored 22 per game in the first round of the playoffs, had seven points on 1-for-5 shooting in 11 minutes of Game 1 vs. New York.

"Nobody's going to try to be Lish because, I mean, there's only one Lish," coach Karl Smesko told the media Tuesday. "Lish is one of the best players in the league. She's an exceptional scorer and she's an excellent defender. So being without her for a game is tough, but we have players that are ready to step up."

The Dream rallied without her, blowing open the game in the third quarter by outscoring the Liberty 32-15. Late-August buyout acquisition and 39-year-old DeWanna Bonner apparently lit a fire under the Dream with a halftime speech but wouldn't say what was said. Bonner holds the WNBA record for most career playoff games and has won two titles.

Her speech sure worked to motivate the team defensively, as Atlanta had an incredible nine steals in the third quarter alone, which led to 16 points and turned a three-point halftime hole into a 14-point lead. Atlanta led the WNBA in forced turnovers per game during the season.

"DB got into us at halftime, I'll just say that," guard Jordin Canada said. "We knew we didn't play our best in the first half. We gave up a lot of defensive assignments: not aggressive enough on offense and defense. … We talked about a second-half surge, that the first three minutes of the second half are going to be really important, and so we came out ready to go."

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Liberty vs. Dream same-game parlay

New York alt +6.5

Alt Under 177.5

FanDuel SGP price: +106 (subject to change)

It was the Dream's eighth straight win (8-0 ATS) and continued a theme of third-quarter domination. In their previous seven games, they averaged 26.3 points and 4.6 forced turnovers in the third. Canada dealt with foul trouble but led the team with 25 points and five steals, which tied a franchise postseason record, and four assists.

Bonner had 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench. WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese added 17 points, seven rebounds (after setting the league's single-season record), and four steals. Overall, the Dream forced 21 turnovers that led to 32 points. They also outscored the Liberty 18-0 in transition.

It sounds as if Bonner will move into the starting lineup. Outside of her (20.8 minutes per game), no one else is averaging more than 15 minutes off the bench, as it's not a deep squad. That depth took a hit due to Brionna Jones' season-ending left-leg injury.

The Dream are the only team yet to lose this postseason and have won all three games by double digits. They are now the +180 WNBA title favorites and -295 on this best-of-5 series line, with the Liberty at +235. That it's a three-game sweep is the +240 leader.

Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionescu scored a game-high 27 points for New York in the opener but had just one assist and five turnovers. It was her third postseason 25-point game with the Liberty, tying Cappie Pondexter for second-most in franchise history.

Breanna Stewart added 19 points while playing all 40 minutes. She passed Maya Moore (1,077) for the sixth-most points in WNBA postseason history. While Atlanta's 32 points off turnovers tied a WNBA playoff record, the Liberty scored 14 points off 13 forced turnovers. They also have to get more from a bench that totaled only six points in Game 1.

If you're interested in parlay betting, I've put together a same-game parlay for Wednesday's matchup between the Liberty and Dream that can be crafted at the top sports betting apps. Use the latest FanDuel promo code to get up to $250 in bonus bets when you wager $5+ for five days: