The Las Vegas Aces’ title dream suffered an early blow after NaLyssa Smith’s news on Thursday. Days after Smith went down with a knee injury on Sunday in a game against the Toronto Tempo, the team announced that Smith was out for the 2026 season and making a roster addition.
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Smith was having an impactful season. After what the New York Liberty reporter Myles Ehrlich called “awful” news, the Aces find themselves in hot water.
According to WNBA insider Khristina, sources told ‘Girls Talk Sports TV’ that the Aces had signed Kalani Brown for the rest of the season to fill the open roster spot. Last season, Brown played for the Phoenix Mercury but became an unrestricted free agent in April this year after a contract buyout with the Mercury.
The 29-year-old was drafted 7th overall by the LA Sparks in the 2019 draft. Since then, the center has played for the Atlanta Dream (2 seasons), Dallas (2 seasons), and Phoenix last season. She didn’t play any games in 2022 after she was waived by the Dream.
Smith’s injury has put the Aces in a very tough situation. Last season, she proved to be a crucial piece for her team after she joined them in a mid-season trade from the Dallas Wings. The Aces forward was able to stabilize the Aces’ tough season and helped them to win their third title in four years.
The Aces had a 14-14 record in the first 28 games, but won all of their last 16 games of the season. She became Becky Hammon’s trusted piece during the playoffs and helped the Aces defeat the Indiana Fever in the five-game series.
This season, Smith was a crucial part of their starting lineup, impacting the game on both sides of the floor. As the starting forward, she was averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. Smith provided physicality to the Aces inside the paint.
Hammon might use Brown as her backup center and move either Cheyenne Parker-Tyus or Brianna Turner to take Smith’s starter’s spot. Smith added a scoring option in the paint, which makes Parker-Tyus the obvious choice. She averages 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.7 minutes coming off the bench. The 11-year veteran has ample postseason experience, and Hammon might need that.
“I mean, we got to play the hole, but we feel like we have some pieces to do that, and we just roll with the next one up,” Hammon told The IX Sports after Smith’s injury news on Thursday.
With A’ja Wilson, Chelsey Gray and Jackie Young in the lineup, it would be foolish to count the Aces out of title contention. However, Smith’s absence creates a hole in their starting lineup, and it might bother them against teams like the Golden State Valkyries that play a highly physical game. Hammon will have to find her answer quickly.