DHJ Quick Take: ‘I Felt Like Myself’: Alanna Smith’s Return Boosts Wings in Win Over the Sun
Alanna Smith returned from a minutes restriction to score 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, giving the Dallas Wings a lift in an 86-83 comeback win over the Connecticut Sun on Thursday in Hartford.
- What was the restriction? Smith and Odyssey Sims both played under minute limits set by the Wings’ medical staff, with Sims capped around 12 minutes and Smith kept under 14.
- How did she look? Smith called it one of the few games this season where she felt like herself, going 4-of-6 from the field, well above her season shooting marks.
- Why does it matter? It’s a sign of progress in a season that has seen Smith in and out of the lineup, including a stretch playing through a nasal fracture behind a protective mask.
- What’s next? Dallas (13-8) faces the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, July 5, continuing a four-game road trip.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Alanna Smith has spent much of this season searching for rhythm. Thursday, for a stretch, she found it.
Smith scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, in 13 minutes, 40 seconds during a minutes-restricted return as the Dallas Wings rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Connecticut Sun, 86-83.
A Number Well Above the Average
Smith entered Thursday averaging 4.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists across 16 games this season, a modest workload shaped by a schedule that has rarely let her stay on the floor. Her 11-point night nearly tripled that scoring average, and her 4-of-6 clip from the field, including 2-of-3 from deep, was well above her season marks of 40.6% shooting and 20.0% from three.
“I wouldn’t say I’m in a great rhythm at the moment. This whole season I’ve been in and out a little bit, so I haven’t really been able to get into a flow,” Smith said. “This is probably one of a few games this season where I’ve felt a little bit like myself.”
A Managed Return
Smith and Odyssey Sims each played under restrictions set by the Wings’ medical staff as part of a managed return for both.
Wings coach Jose Fernandez said the limits, capping Sims at roughly 12 minutes and Smith just under 14, were designed to protect both players while still getting value from them on the floor.
“Both she and Odyssey were on minute restrictions,” Fernandez said. “Our medical staff did a great job with both of them. I thought Odyssey’s defensive presence was important, and what Alanna gave us stretching the floor with the pick-and-pop and in middle pick-and-roll situations was huge.”
Playing Through It
Smith played part of the season behind a protective mask after fracturing her nose, a stretch she said she tried not to use as an excuse.
“I don’t like blaming things on the mask because you want to play through adversity, but it is pretty cool to be able to see,” Smith said.
Her performance came inside a building that treated Dallas like the home team, with fans from Paige Bueckers‘ and Azzi Fudd‘s UConn days filling the stands. Smith, in her first season with the Wings after signing as a free agent, said playing alongside the two has given her an appreciation for how they carry themselves.
“You’ve got two of the most humble superstars sitting up here right now,” Smith said. “They don’t see themselves as better than anyone else, which is amazing because they have so much magnitude, especially in a place like this where it felt like a home game. I’m just happy to be along for the ride with these two.”
Dallas (13-8) travels to face the Toronto Tempo on Sunday to continue a four-game road trip.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- ‘She’s Just Different’: Paige Bueckers Powers Dallas Wings Past Connecticut Sun 86-83 In Hartford
- Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers, Jessica Shepard Named 2026 WNBA All-Star Starters
- Dallas Wings List Odyssey Sims Probable, Alanna Smith Questionable Ahead Of Connecticut Sun Matchup
- ‘That Gear Already Unlocked’: Paige Bueckers’ 25 Points Not Enough As Dallas Wings Fall 85-77 To Minnesota Lynx
- ‘Some Nights Are Like That’: Dallas Wings Fall To Las Vegas Aces 99-84 To Close Road Trip
