Alanna Smith #8 of the Minnesota Lynx (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
Alanna Smith has played multiple roles over the course of her WNBA career. She has been a spot starter, a versatile defender, and, at times, a player still looking for the right system. Now, in her second season with the Minnesota Lynx, she has found something more permanent: a defined role, trust from the coaching staff, and a connection to a team that values what she brings on and off the floor.
“I feel like I’ve kind of been a ‘whatever a team needs me to be’ type of player,” Smith told RG. “So if that’s a four or five—I’ve played a three sometimes in the past. Being on a team where I have a really defined role and they need me for something specific that I do really well is really helpful for my own confidence, and just knowing what I need to bring every night.”
Smith joined the Lynx on a two-year, $300,000 fully guaranteed deal before the 2024 season. Since then, she has developed into one of the league’s most valuable two-way forwards. She earned WNBA All-Defensive Second Team honors while helping Minnesota finish second in the Western Conference with a 30-10 record and reach the 2024 WNBA Finals. In that postseason run, she averaged 8.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks, shooting 52.0% from the field and 41.2% from beyond the arc.
Defensive Anchor, Offensive Weapon
Minnesota’s defense, one of the most disciplined and team-oriented units in the league, has leaned heavily on Smith’s versatility. Whether switching onto smaller players or defending the post, her ability to rotate, contest, and communicate has become a foundational piece of the team’s identity.
“We’re obviously very defensive-minded and defensive-focused,” Smith said. “So just making sure I’m locked in defensively—on who I’m guarding and also in team defense—that’s the main thing.”
Her role as a help defender is something the coaching staff counts on consistently, and it has allowed Minnesota to operate with flexibility in coverages, whether she’s switching or lurking from the weak side.
“There’s a couple of us that are the anchors of our defense, especially in help-side,” she said.
“That’s usually me. We’re a team that helps a lot, and being able to provide that every single game without fail is what’s most important. Everyone knows their roles defensively and does it every game, which is really cool.”
Her impact extends well beyond the defensive end. After years of refining her outside shot, she has become one of the league’s most reliable stretch forwards. She shot 40.7% from three-point range in 2024 and opened the 2025 campaign with 18 points in just 17 minutes during Minnesota’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks. Entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Seattle Storm, she averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game while converting at a 61.9% clip from the floor and 50.0% from deep. A notable difference? She’s taken 4.7 shots from deep per game, increasing her career-high mark from 3.0 last season.
“Cheryl told me at the start of the year she wanted me to shoot more threes,” Smith said. “And a player never doesn’t want to hear that. I always want to shoot more. That’s one of my strengths as a post player—being able to knock it down from behind the arc.”
Playing alongside an All-WNBA star like Napheesa Collier, Smith’s offensive role has taken on even greater importance. With defenders collapsing on Collier, Smith often finds herself with clean looks—and the green light to take them.
“When you’re playing with someone like Phee, she’s the reason you’re able to get open shots,” Smith said. “Everyone’s so focused on her. She draws a lot of attention, and that gets everybody else open. We’ve got so many threats on offense—it’s not just Phee—but she’s the most elite. She’s dropping 30 in the first three games of the season, which is unreal. But she’s unselfish too. She’ll give it up and pitch it out, which is what we need as a team.”
Built Through Trust
Smith’s arrival in Minnesota coincided with the emergence of a new competitive window for the Lynx. In 2024, the team reached the WNBA Finals after a postseason run defined by toughness, chemistry, and defensive execution. Smith was a critical part of the frontcourt rotation throughout that journey.
Reflecting on that experience, Smith said the group learned to embrace close games and high-pressure situations.
“We talked about it before this season even started—the journey we were on last year,” she said. “No game was easy. I don’t think we really blew out any teams last year. Every game was a battle. But we’ve got a lot of the same players back, and that experience is so valuable. In games like tonight, you don’t lose your cool. You just rely on your team identity, and you’ll be fine.”
The Finals series against the New York Liberty went the full five games. Minnesota’s defense kept it competitive throughout, but the season ended in controversy when a potential game-winning drive by Collier in the final seconds of Game 5 went uncalled. The loss was emotional, but it didn’t unravel what the Lynx had built. If anything, it reinforced the team’s trust in each other.
That sense of belonging has mattered deeply to Smith, who said the environment in Minnesota has brought out her best.
Smith also credited the team’s culture for making space for quieter contributors, pointing to teammate Bridget Carleton as someone whose value isn’t always captured in the box score. It’s a mentality the team as a whole is embracing this season.
“Her game is quiet, but it has so much impact,” Smith said. “A couple of times in that last possession, it was BC that got a deflection or a big rebound. Time and time again, it’s her doing those little things that change the game—but you don’t see it reflected on the stat sheet. I think she’s a massive part of our success and why we’re able to do what we do.”
A Free Agent in Name Only?
While Smith is in the final year of her current contract, there is little question about her importance to the Lynx going forward. She is playing the best basketball of her professional career, and her production is among the most efficient at her position.
During the 2024 regular season, Smith averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 47.1% overall and 39.8% from three-point range—an elite combination of shooting and rim protection that few players across the league can match.
Smith will be one of the most sought-after players on the market heading into 2026 free agency. Her blend of defensive versatility, shooting touch, and leadership has made her a cornerstone for a Minnesota team with championship aspirations.
“As a player, you always want to be in a position where your game speaks for itself,” she said. “That’s all I’ve tried to do.”
What she’s doing now goes beyond stats. Smith has become a central piece of Minnesota’s identity—a player who brings stability, stretches the floor, anchors coverages, and brings consistency in moments that demand it most.
She may technically be headed toward free agency—but in every meaningful way, Alanna Smith has already found her home.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas-based basketball writer with over eight years of experience covering the NBA. He’s spent time on the Mavericks beat for Sports Illustrated and now writes for Sportskeeda.com and DallasHoopsJournal.com. Known for his analysis, engaging interviews, and breaking news coverage, Grant provides a fresh angle to the game.
