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NaLyssa Smith’s unique perspective on Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers
NaLyssa Smith, traded from the Fever to the Dallas Wings last winter, on her new start in her home state and Friday’s highly anticipated matchup.
- The Fever traded NaLyssa Smith to Dallas as part of a three-way trade with Phoenix last winter.
- Smith was a regular starter for three season with the Fever, who drafted her No. 2 overall out of Baylor in 2022.
DALLAS – NaLyssa Smith’s WNBA career transitioned from the supernova-like intensity of Caitlin Clark’s rookie season with the Indiana Fever to the start of the Paige Bueckers era with the Dallas Wings.
The Fever’s first-round pick in the 2022 WNBA draft out of Baylor spoke openly about frustrations with her role last season. The trade that brought her to Dallas last winter provided a chance for rejuvenation.
It also gave her a unique perspective on the ascent of two of the league’s biggest stars — and how to handle it as a teammate.
“It’s the same experience,” Smith said after shootaround prior to Friday’s game between the Wings and Fever. “Going on the road, they all sound like home games, too. They’re cheering loud for Paige and for the team. They’re very similar environments.
“That’s why them two together in this arena — it’s going to be insane.”
Smith publicly stated she wanted a bigger role on last season’s Fever team. She averaged 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game — down from 15.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 28.5 minutes the season before. She started but played only nine minutes in the playoff opener against the Connecticut Sun, then came off the bench for only four minutes in Game 2.
A Jan. 31 three-way trade sent her to Dallas and brought Sophie Cunningham to Indy from Phoenix. It also moved Smith from a playoff team to one on the rebuild. The Wings fired coach Latricia Trammell and restructured the front office after a 9-31 season. Under new coach Chris Koclanes, the team lost 11 of its first 12 games this season.
Check out our book on Caitlin Clark’s rookie season with the Fever
Smith has started 13 of 16 games — though with a diminished per-game usage rate as opposed to her stint with the Fever. She entered Friday averaging 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds over 18.4 minutes.
Over the past four games, though, she bumped that production to 7.3 points and 7.5 rebounds. The Wings won three of those four, and in the other, Smith played 32 minutes in an overtime loss at Washington.
Koclanes likes Smith’s intensity and effort on both ends of the floor, while admitting she continues to find her role within a new offensive system. She also brings a veteran presence — including having gone through last season’s mental challenges.
“You don’t want anyone to have to go through any of that,” Koclanes said. “But I think the maturity and the perspective has helped her to be an even better professional and a better teammate and better person in general, and can kind of help us as we navigate through different things that get thrown your way throughout the course of a season.”
Veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen said Smith’s defense was “more than half the reason” the Wings beat Atlanta 68-55 last Tuesday. She blocked three shots in that game and four against the Mystics, representing nearly half of her season total of 15.
“She crashes the boards extremely well,” said Hines-Allen, in her first season with the Wings after six with Washington and Minnesota. “She may not own the stat sheet — she may not get 10 boards — but she gets her hands on a lot that causes us to get the rebound.
“… Offensively, she’s finding her shot right now. Overall, she just gives a different look. She’s super athletic, and she’s another player who wants to continue to get better and continue to learn.”
Smith played 26 minutes and scored 7 points with 10 rebounds in the Wings’ 94-86 loss to the Fever on Friday.
Smith’s family helped pack American Airlines Center on Friday night. Their four-hour drive from the San Antonio area replaced long journeys to visit her in Indianapolis. She credited that support system for taking some weight from her shoulders.
“I always say it’s a blessing in disguise,” Smith said. “Trades aren’t always a negative thing. It can always also be a positive thing.
“I think it came in a good light for me, at a good time. I’m about family, friends, good environment, my teammates — so it’s been good for me.”
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