Alanna Smith Fills Up Box Score in Lynx Loss

The Minnesota Lynx needed someone to step up on Tuesday night with perennial MVP contender Napheesa Collier out with a lower back injury, and it was former Stanford Cardinal star Alanna Smith that answered the call.

Smith notched a career-high 26 points in the loss on 9-of-17 shooting that included 2-of-6 from three and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. In addition to her shooting prowess, Smith also collected five rebounds, dished out a pair of assists, was responsible for two steals, and sent the Washington Mystics away with six blocks in 30 minutes.

She completely filled out her stat line.

The problem on Tuesday night in D.C. was that there wasn't a ton of support from the rest of the roster, outside of Jessica Shepard, who put up 12 points and 15 rebounds in 37 minutes. The other three starters combined for just 16 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and zero blocks. Off the bench, Maria Kliundikova contributed nine points in 14 minutes.

On the one hand, it's tough to waste a performance like this from Smith without collecting a win in the process, but on the other, it also shines a light on how special the Minnesota Lynx can be when Collier and Smith are on the court together. On the year, the Lynx are 12-2 and are the No. 1 seed in the WNBA.

After losing Game 5 of the WNBA finals in overtime, the belief heading into this season was that the Lynx would be a dangerous club. Not only would they be looking to avenge their defeat to the New York Liberty, but they also have arguably the game's best player in Collier, and a solid group around her most nights.

It also doesn't hurt that Alanna Smith is able to have this kind of a breakout game when needed. If she wasn't playing injured in the final game of 2024, the outcome could have been different.

The Lynx will be a dangerous team moving forward because they can do it all. They can shoot it, defend with the best of them, and have a terrific roster filled with talent. They're also looking for their first WNBA title since 2017, and Collier is looking for her first in the W. This group is hungry, and they're going to run through any obstacle that's in their way.