Alanna Smith left Game 3 on Wednesday due to a back ailment. But the Lynx big left no doubt Thursday that she has every intention to give it a go in Friday’s elimination game at Target Center.
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Smith said she’s “OK” physically, noting everyone is sore at this point in the campaign.
“Maybe some more than others,” she said. “We’re in the WNBA Finals, so you got to push through whatever it is that’s going on for you if it isn’t risky, obviously. I’m planning to play.”
She wouldn’t miss this opportunity. Every time Smith steps onto the floor for an opening, she thinks about how two years ago at this time, she was watching at home from the couch.
“It’s a nice reminder for me. It puts things into perspective of how lucky I am and the hard work I’ve put in and how it’s paid off. It’s a testament to this team as well,” Smith said. “It’s really, really hard to do what we’ve done this year and get to this point. It’s nice to remind yourself of all that hard work and where it’s got you.”
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Smith never could’ve guessed this would all occur. Particularly not after she was cut by Indiana in 2022. At that time, Smith felt her WNBA career may be over. She was gaining interest from other teams, but the forward didn’t think it was a “good idea” for her to play in the WNBA. Smith was confident in her abilities and knew she could make an impact at the highest level, but noted it’s a difficult choice for a non-American to fly overseas to play here.
“Coming out here, coming to a training camp and not knowing if you’re going to make the team and having to travel home again. For me, that’s a 30-hour trip home,” the Australian native said. “So it wasn’t an easy decision to make, and it wasn’t something I just made on the fly. But I thought about it, and I decided I just don’t see the benefit for me to make that trip out there again.”
But ahead of the 2023 season, Smith received a call from then-Chicago basketball boss James Wade. He informed Smith he believed in her and had a spot on the roster for her. With that security in place, Smith decided to return to the Association.
She shined last season for the Sky — finishing third in Most Improved Player voting — and has found what looks to be a long-term home in Minnesota. Smith raves about the accommodations in Minnesota and the organizational commitment to excellence, as well as the culture created and support given by the Lynx.
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“You’re just lifted to this place where you have confidence and you… you want to win with these people,” Smith said after a semifinal game. “So I look at being cut (in 2022), and I’m I think I’m so happy that happened to me, like I’m so happy that I was cut from that team and it led me to this.”
This has been a match made in heaven. Smith was second-team All-WNBA defense this season. She and Napheesa Collier — with their relentlessness in all coverages and versatility to cover one through five — have spearheaded what has been the best defense in the league.
“Not many people like to play defense. I think offense is a little bit more fun. It gets recognized more when you’re a great offensive player, but defense wins games. I think our whole team is a testament to that. Defense is what will win you games,” Smith said. “I think, for me, the big thing that pushed me over the line is that defense is effort a lot of the time. You might not do the right thing, but if you do it with a lot of effort, it usually pays off. I think that’s what I try and communicate to young players. If you just play really, really hard — and, with defense, you can do that every possession — it will have an impact on the game.”
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Advanced numbers suggest Smith is one of Minnesota’s most valuable players.
“She’s not going to wow you, she’s not going to fly around, scoring the ball, making post moves, right? It’s not her,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “But what she does for our team, both offensively and defensively, it’s not underappreciated. I can tell you that. It’s a little bit understated. You have to really watch to recognize what she does for us. And every night she’s playing against the opposing team’s big, and she’s not big. So if you look at the success that she has in doing that, it’s the reason why we’re sitting here today in the Finals.”
It’s also the reason why her absence for segments of Wednesday’s contest — both due to injury and foul trouble — was so costly for Minnesota. Frankly, the Lynx have struggled all series without Smith on the floor. In the 81 minutes Smith has played in these WNBA Finals, the Lynx are outscoring New York by 21 points. On the flip side, the Liberty have won the 39 minutes Smith hasn’t played by 36 points.
“We need our starters,” Reeve said, “just like they need their starters.”
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Luckily for Minnesota, its 28-year-old, Australian lynchpin is willing to give it a go through any injury.
“At this point, it’s just attempting to not even think about (the ailments),” she said. “It’s not even worth thinking about it. That’s for (after the) season.”
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