When the Las Vegas Aces announced their active roster barely 30 minutes before the game with the Portland Fire, NaLyssa Smith wasn’t on it. Being marked inactive, especially when she wasn’t on the official injury list, puzzled fans. So it wasn’t surprising when, just hours later, during the post-game press conference, reporters asked coach Becky Hammon for an update. However, Hammon could not provide an exact timeline for Smith’s return.
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“I’m hoping it’s maybe like a 24-hour thing. Kind of came up on her quick, took her out. So hopefully, we can get a lot of fluids in her, and she’ll be ready to go for New York hopefully,” Hammon said in a press conference when asked about Smith’s status.
While fans were initially left questioning the motive behind why NaLyssa Smith wasn’t in the lineup, her brother, Rodney Smith II, dropped an update that dispelled the speculation that DiJonai Carrington’s public accusation of Smith about their past had something to do with it.
The WNBA guard’s brother posted an image of his sister in the hospital with the caption “Praying for your recovery sis🫶🏾 you’ll bounce back quick 🙌🏾.” However, neither her brother nor Becky Hammon disclosed exactly why Smith got sick or needed the fluids.
A forward out of Baylor College, NaLyssa Smith has established herself as a key player for this Aces team. She has started all 26 games she has played, before the sudden omission on July 28 against the Portland Fire.
Smith’s output has been a factor in why the Aces and Hammon have been reliant on her. She is averaging an impressive 11.8 points, 6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.5 steals per game this season, while shooting an impressive 66.7% from the field. She is second on the team in rebounds, only behind A’ja Wilson.
But her role is not just limited to numbers, as she anchors the Las Vegas Aces frontcourt, holding down the starting center position alongside forward A’ja Wilson.
Her versatility is something that the Aces’ management and Hammon appreciate, as she is one of the few players who are comfortable floating between both forward and center positions.
In this crucial final stretch of the season, the defending champion Aces will look to have a top-five scorer and rebounder back in the lineup. It’s what the fans want, as many of them wished for Smith’s speedy recovery in the comments section under her elder brother’s post.
While the Aces beat the Fire 98-83, Smith and the team would look to put this behind them and hope that Smith returns to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the New York Liberty.