Lynx's Alanna Smith: X-Factor, All-Defensive player, graduate student

NEW YORK – Two years before Alanna Smith grabbed the offensive rebound that set up Courtney Williams' 4-point play in one of the most remarkable sequences in WNBA history, Smith was home in Australia and wasn't even thinking about the league.

The 6-foot-4 forward played the first nine games of the 2022 season with the Indiana Fever. She was released by the Fever in late May, despite having signed with Indiana in the offseason. The Fever squad was young and inexperienced and only won five games. Smith was only 25 years old, but Indiana had deemed her services unnecessary.

“I had the mindset that I wouldn’t play in the W again,” Smith said. “I didn’t really want to.”

But there Smith was on Thursday night, when the Minnesota Lynx finally beat the New York Liberty in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, taking the floor after a career season in which she made the All-Defensive second team. Before the opening tip, Smith, who says she is “self-reflective of a mistake,” surveyed the scene. Before every game, she tries to remember her journey. “Two years ago you were at home and you weren’t even thinking about the WNBA,” she said. “It’s a nice little reminder that anything can happen.”

Smith's path was not linear. But over the last two seasons, the six-year veteran's development has been dramatic. What's even more impressive is that she's accomplished this performance — 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 39.8 percent 3-point shooting this season — while also having another commitment brings a hat: graduate school.

This summer, Smith began a master's degree in psychology, taking online courses at Australia's Monash University. While playing for the Opals at the Paris Olympics, Smith took an intensive six-week course in psychology ethics. She learned about internal biases and how past experiences influence interactions while thinking about how to slow down A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Emma Meesseman.

Most recently, Smith took a six-week statistics course. It ended Monday, just a day before the Lynx's Game 5 semifinal win over the Connecticut Sun. Her most recent assignment included writing a journal manuscript interpreting a data set.

Alanna Smith began studying for a master's degree in psychology. Their statistics class ended a day before the Lynx's Game 5 semifinal victory over the Connecticut Sun. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

Effective time management was crucial for Smith, who honed these skills as a Stanford student. She is studying while recovering at home. Lynx teammates notice that she is constantly doing homework on flights or working on her tablet on bus rides. “I try to distract her from her homework so she can get to it,” said forward Napheesa Collier. “Sometimes successful, sometimes not.”

Smith, who wants to become a registered psychologist, said she doesn't want to burden her teammates by asking them for help. But late in the season, she did at least once.

“I’m good at statistics. I’m good at all subjects, math, reading, writing, science, whatever you need,” reserve guard Natisha Hiedeman told Smith.

“I told her I could have been her tutor,” Hiedeman added. How did Smith react to her teammate's suggestion?

“She wanted another one,” Hiedeman remembers.

One area where Smith rarely needs help is on defense.

That was part of what former Chicago Sky coach and general manager James Wade knew when he convinced Smith to return to the WNBA in 2023. Yes, Wade saw Smith average more than 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game over the winter in Poland. but he also recognized their defensive versatility.

While out of the league, Smith believed she would never play in the WNBA again unless a spot on the roster was all but guaranteed. She didn't want to risk moving to America for another short-term deal that could turn her life upside down again if something went wrong. “But (Wade) gave me a safe place,” she said. “He gave me security.” And in return, the confidence that she can thrive in the West.

Last offseason, after a successful year in Chicago, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was similarly intrigued. She had seen Smith's multi-dimensional game from Smith's time with the Cardinal. It helped that before signing Smith to a two-year deal this offseason, Collier told Reeve that Smith was one of the toughest players to compete against.

Minnesota's defense relies on players moving on a string and scrambling around to close off driving lanes or potential open shooters. Smith stood out. With more than 1,000 minutes played this season, they rank third in the league in defensive rating. “I’m not worried about anything she does,” Reeve said. “There is instant trust because all their movements make sense.”

Williams added: “She’s defending the biggest, sometimes best player on the other team. She never complains. She is knocked down. She gets beaten up every other night and she gives us 100 percent.”

Alanna Smith catches and finishes the two at the basket 🫡#WNBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/JcnCg4D2S6

– WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2024

Against New York, Smith's main task is to slow down star center Jonquel Jones. How she fares will be crucial to the rest of the series, which continues on Sunday afternoon. Jones finished Game 1 with 24 points and 10 rebounds, but she remained in single digits in three of four matches in which Minnesota advanced to the finals.

Smith said she approaches guarding Jones by breaking the game down into small moments and focusing on small details on every possession on the court. “On this play, I’m not going to allow her to touch the ball,” Smith said. “In this game I’m going to box really, really hard. If I can reduce the impact, I think that's a win for me.” Reeve said Smith's impact was understated. Nevertheless, she emphasized after Game 1 that the striker's impact was a big reason why Minnesota led 1-0 in the final.

Smith focuses on the task at hand. But that doesn't mean that further commitment wouldn't be of great importance in the future. “I still have two weeks until my next class starts,” Smith said.

Just enough time to reboot, refresh and potentially win a WNBA championship.

(Top photo of Bridget Carleton, Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams: Pamela Smith / Associated Press)