After falling just short of winning the franchise’s fifth championship last season, the Minnesota Lynx opened their season on Friday night, and took home the 99-84 win over the Dallas Wings. But one notable player was absent–star forward and former Stanford standout, Alanna Smith, who missed the game due to an injury.
But Smith quickly came back in time for the team’s second game of the season, where behind her 18 point, three rebound and three assist performance, the Lynx were able to improve to 2-0 on the year with an 89-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. It’s games like that by Smith that will be vital for the Lynx all season long.
Since joining the Lynx prior to the start of the 2024 season, Smith has evolved into one of the WNBA’s best defensive players, even earning a spot on the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team last season. A versatile player, capable of playing the three, four, or the five and guard all five positions, the Lynx have been able to use Smith in a variety of ways–which has unlocked a whole new level for the team.
Last season, the Lynx season was best remembered for how good they were at three-point shooting and assists, leading the league in both categories in terms of per game average. But with Smith’s defensive presence out there as well, Minnesota was much more of a two-way team and was able to contain some of the league’s top teams and prevent them from having big nights.
Before signing with the Lynx, Smith spent a season with the Chicago Sky, averaging 9.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists as both a starter and a bench player. It was with Chicago that Smith really found her groove in the league, helping the Sky clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Smith has become a key player in the league for a variety of reasons. Not only is she dominant both on offense and defense, she also has evolved into a well-respected leader, having been in the league since 2019.
And in a league where rosters are much smaller than in the NBA, and with many of the current players being on the younger side, having a player like Smith be a leader in the locker room can go a long way. It also doesn’t hurt to have Smith to pair with a franchise player like Napheesa Collier, who is not only one of the best players in the W today, but she was named to the First All-Defensive Team.
At the start of the season, the Lynx were listed as the team with the third-best odds to win the WNBA title at +350, tied with the Indiana Fever and behind the league favorites, the New York Liberty.
Since Cheryl Reeve took over as the head coach in 2010, the Lynx have been one of the league’s best teams, not only winning the four championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 but also producing some of the league’s most iconic legends in Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus.
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