The WNBA’s new CBA has raised athletes’ contract valuations beyond the million-dollar mark, dubbed super-max contracts. However, midway through the season, WNBA analysts Annie Costabile and Sabreena Merchant have identified one of Paige Bueckers’ teammates, Alanna Smith, who isn’t justifying her $3.75 million contract with the points she’s averaging per game.
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“I feel as though we are going to be in sync with this one,” Costabile said on the No Offseason podcast. “I wonder if I’m like reading your mind, if you’re reading my mind. But the first one I got to go with is Alanna Smith… I think going into this year that her getting the standard max was a good decision.”
“Like in terms of co-defensive player of the year and the Dallas Wings having this splashy offseason, but injuries have obviously played a part in her limited availability, but what we’re seeing from her, and it also comes down to what Jose (Fernandez) is liking from other players. It’s contributed to Alanna’s role being a bit different than what we expected going into the season, maybe even what she expected going into this season.”
“So Alanna Smith is on my list,” Merchant said, agreeing with her fellow host. Smith, last season’s co-defensive player of the year, fixed an element of Paige Bueckers’ team that they had struggled with: a strong defensive identity.
The Wings front office also paid the big bucks on her, offering the forward a three-year $3.75 million contract. But that impact hasn’t materialized for the Wings on the court so far. In the 20 games Smith has played so far, she has started just 7.
She is averaging just 14.2 minutes per game, while recording just 3.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. This is a mere shadow of her performance for the Minnesota Lynx last season, when she started all 42 games and even set the franchise record with 80 blocks.
Now, her numbers aren’t disastrous, given the minutes she is logging. But the lucrative contract she has signed with the Wings neither justifies her numbers nor her status as an off-the-bench player.
Injuries, such as a nasal fracture, facial injury, and lower-leg strain, have affected her availability. Furthermore, the Dallas Wings have found several other players to anchor the team’s defense. For instance, Azzi Fudd has perfectly fit into the role of a strong perimeter defender.
Fudd leads the team in steals (1.7 per game). Meanwhile, Awak Kuier has also fit into a defensive role and leads the team in blocks (1.1 per game). This roster dynamic has further pushed Alanna Smith down the pecking order for opportunities to make a substantial mark in the season.
Nevertheless, her experience in the rotation can still be a valuable addition for Paige Bueckers’ team going forward in the season.