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Jul 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8)prepares to play the Atlanta Dream before the game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
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Jul 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8)prepares to play the Atlanta Dream before the game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
After CBA, free agency is the next mountain the WNBA and its franchises face. With over 80% of the league’s players as free agents, teams as we knew them last season aren’t going to look the same. But if any team is making the best of this time, it’s the Dallas Wings, as they’ve secured Alanna Smith as another piece on their chessboard.
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The Wings have signed Smith to a three-year max contract, and with this move, they have landed one of the most impactful two-way players in the league as they continue to upgrade their roster after a disappointing 2025 season.
But while it will be exciting to see her in the Wings jersey, this move also marks the end of a meaningful chapter of Smith’s journey. The Australian forward spent the last two seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, and to make it clear, just how much her time there meant, she took to Instagram to share a heartfelt farewell.
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“It’s hard to put into words what my time in Minnesota has meant to me,” Alanna Smith wrote. “This team and this city embraced me, and I am so grateful for all the love and support and how this Aussie girl was welcomed with open arms. Forever will hold a special place in my heart. Thank you.”
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With the Lynx, Smith started in all 42 games last season and averaged 9.6 points on 48.5% shooting, along with 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
But what stood out most was her defensive prowess, which earned her Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Defensive First Team. Now, if you are wondering what she did to get those awards, Smith protected the rim like most could never. With 80 total blocks (third in the league), she set a Lynx franchise record and became just the eighth player in WNBA history to hit that mark in a single season.
By the end of the 2025 season, she was the only player to record at least 400 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, 80 blocks, and 50 made threes. And now you know why Curt Miller made her the franchise’s top priority.
“Alanna Smith was our top target going into free agency after her outstanding 2025 season,” the Wings GM told Dallas Hoops Journal. “As the reigning Co-Defensive Player of the Year, she is one of the top two-way players in the WNBA who consistently impacts both sides of the ball… She possesses the personal character that we wanted to add to our locker room, where we want to win first… We can’t wait to welcome her to Dallas.”
However, this move by the Wings franchise is just one step in a much bigger rebuild.
With Alanna Smith Signed, the Dallas Wings Still Hold the No. 1 Pick
This week has been a busy one for the Dallas Wings, but the ultimate card they still hold is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft.
For the second straight year, Dallas holds the power to select the best players in the draft. But unlike 2025, when Paige Bueckers was the undeniable choice, this time there’s no clear-cut No. 1. And that changes everything. Because now, it’s not about picking the obvious star, it’s about picking the right fit.
Names like Awa Fam, Lauren Betts, Azzi Fudd, and Olivia Miles are all in the mix, and each of them brings a completely different skillset to the table.
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Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) reacts to a call during the second half against the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Fam offers long-term upside with her international experience, while Betts has already proven she can dominate at the highest level, having led UCLA to a national championship.
But then, there’s Fudd, whose elite shooting and star power make her an enticing option on the perimeter. But what makes her even more attractive is that she already shares on-court chemistry with Bueckers from their time at UConn.
However, if recent projections by USA Today are anything to go by, Dallas might already be leaning toward size. According to them, the Wings are expected to select Betts at No. 1 overall. And it’s not hard to see why.
She has emerged as a front-runner after her performance in the 2025-26 NCAA season, where she averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
While it remains to be seen who they will pick, the Wings have already brought in Jessica Shepard to strengthen the frontcourt, re-signed franchise cornerstone Arike Ogunbowale, and reshaped part of the roster by sending Diamond Miller to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Rayah Marshall.
Now, with Alanna Smith on their roster as well, Dallas has already laid the groundwork through free agency. So with the No. 1 pick still in hand, they have the chance to tie it all together and define what this next era of Wings basketball will truly look like.
