UNCASVILLE, CT - SEPTEMBER 10: Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream drives to the basket during the game against the Connecticut Sun on September 10, 2025 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images) : UNCASVILLE, CT - SEPTEMBER 10: Naz Hillmon #00 of the Atlanta Dream drives to the basket during the game against the Connecticut Sun on September 10, 2025 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

UNCASVILLE, CT - SEPTEMBER 10: Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream drives to the basket during the game against the Connecticut Sun on September 10, 2025 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images) : UNCASVILLE, CT - SEPTEMBER 10: Naz Hillmon #00 of the Atlanta Dream drives to the basket during the game against the Connecticut Sun on September 10, 2025 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Dream Duo Shines: Hillmon, Gray Earn AP Honors After Historic Seasons

By Yakiri Thomas / September 12, 2025

 

The Associated Press today announced its 2025 WNBA awards and All-WNBA Teams, and two Atlanta Dream stars earned their spot in the national spotlight. Forward Naz Hillmon was named the 2025 AP Sixth Player of the Year — the first Dream player in franchise history to claim the honor — while guard Allisha Gray was selected to the AP First Team, becoming just the second player ever from Atlanta to earn the accolade.

For Hillmon, the award is the perfect cap to a season defined by growth, grit, and game-changing impact. After averaging 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2024, she leveled up in 2025 with 8.7 points and 6.2 boards per game. She also added a new dimension to her arsenal, knocking down 53 threes after hitting just one across her first three seasons. Her durability was unmatched, appearing in every game while setting a new Dream record with 151 consecutive appearances — the third-longest active streak in the WNBA. Hillmon’s influence stretched beyond the stat sheet: she led Atlanta in net rating swing (+13.4), ranked second in the league in plus-minus (+7.6 per game, +335 total), and delivered in clutch moments. From her career-high 21 points with the game-winner in Dallas, to a 15-rebound battle against Las Vegas, to multiple double-doubles, she cemented herself as a cornerstone in the Dream’s success.

Gray’s First Team nod comes in the midst of a career-best campaign that put her firmly among the WNBA elite. She averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 38.4% from deep. A constant offensive threat, Gray ranked fourth in three-pointers made (98), sixth in total points (773), and third in win shares (7.7). Her scoring tear included nine games with 25-plus points and 15 with at least 20, highlighted by a career-high 32 at Washington in June. Along the way, she checked off milestone after milestone: Dream single-season scoring leader, over 4,000 career points, 400 career threes, and a spot inside the franchise’s top six all-time in both scoring and assists. Add in her 2025 All-Star Starter nod and a historic feat as the first guard ever to win three Conference Player of the Month awards in one season, and it’s clear why she earned First Team honors.

Hillmon and Gray’s standout seasons are a reflection of Atlanta’s rise as a whole. The Dream are fresh off a franchise-record 30-win regular season and now turn their focus to the postseason, where they’ll open their best-of-three First Round series against the Indiana Fever. Game 1 tips off Sunday, September 14 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC at Gateway Center Arena.

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