Paige Bueckers & Co. Receive Major Boost as Wings Land 2025 DPOY on Max Deal

“It doesn’t feel real, to be honest,” Smith said on Sunday. “You put so much hard work into your craft, and to be rewarded for it is pretty cool. I just feel grateful to be in this position and hopefully lead the way for other women to get what they deserve as well.”

Wings GM Curt Miller revealed that Smith was their “top target” in free agency and that the team had pursued her from the start, praising her ability to defend multiple positions and alter shots around the paint, while also fitting alongside Dallas’ guard-heavy lineup on offense.

Alanna Smith’s arrival in Dallas is the result of a long and winding road through the league.

The 29-year-old Stanford graduate was drafted No. 8 overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 2019, then passed through Indiana and Chicago before finding her footing.

It was with the Chicago Sky in 2023 that she truly broke out, finishing third in the Most Improved Player Award race. She then signed with the Lynx in 2024, making the leap to elite status.

In 2025, Smith averaged 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.3 steals for Minnesota, earning co-Defensive Player of the Year alongside A’ja Wilson.

Additionally, she became the first Australian to win the award since Lauren Jackson in 2007, finishing third in the league in total blocks with 80 and setting a Lynx franchise record in the process.

Alanna Smith is not the only high-profile Lynx name to move on this offseason, as Bridget Carleton was selected by the Portland Fire in the expansion draft, while reserve Natasha Hiedeman was dealt to the Seattle Storm.

With the interior now anchored, the Wings head into Monday’s WNBA Draft with an entirely different set of priorities.

Dallas Wings 2026 WNBA Draft Pick Options After Alanna Smith Signing

Smith’s signing effectively takes a big off the board. Dallas had been linked to frontcourt prospects like UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Spain’s Awa Fam to address interior defense, but that need no longer exists. The conversation now shifts to the backcourt.