DHJ Quick Take: Alanna Smith Adjusts to Dallas
- The “Home Run” Addition: Curt Miller was clear: landing Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard was the “home run” that defined the Wings‘ offseason. By securing the 2025 WNBA co-Defensive Player of the Year in free agency, Dallas effectively built a defensive wall that allowed them to draft Azzi Fudd No. 1 overall with zero hesitation regarding frontcourt depth.
- The Starting Five Vision: Miller‘s projected lineup of Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Azzi Fudd, Jessica Shepard, and Alanna Smith represents arguably the most versatile starting unit in the league. Smith‘s Saturday return is the first real opportunity for Jose Fernandez to begin live-drilling the “Defensive Player of the Year-type presence” that Bueckers says will define this team.
- The Remote Coaching Bridge: The detail about the staff coaching the overseas players “throughout the night” is a fascinating look at the logistical grind in Arlington. While Ogunbowale is in China and Shepard is in Italy, they are already mentally integrated into the Fernandez system, ensuring that once they touch down in Texas, the “learning curve” is purely physical.
- A New Offensive Ceiling: Perhaps the most underrated takeaway is Smith‘s excitement for a larger offensive role. After years of being a defensive specialist, Smith is being empowered in Dallas to be a multi-level threat. Playing alongside high-gravity guards like Bueckers and Ogunbowale should give Smith the cleanest looks of her career.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith is expected to return to training camp on Saturday after a brief absence to handle immigration matters, general manager Curt Miller said, putting one of the franchise’s marquee offseason signings back on the floor for five-on-five work this weekend.
The Australian big attended the first three days of training camp before leaving the country to deal with the process. First-year head coach Jose Fernandez confirmed the nature of her absence when asked during his Thursday media availability about a player who was not participating in five-on-five work.
“She had to leave the country to handle visa matters,” Fernandez told Dallas Hoops Journal. “That’s part of the reality for international players with immigration requirements.”
Miller provided a firmer timeline the same day.
“Alanna Smith was not here today as she’s handling immigration matters, but is expected back at practice on Saturday,” Miller said.
Alanna Smith Impressed by Early Tone
Smith told reporters on the opening day of camp that the group used its first session to set a professional standard the team intends to carry through the season.
“I think today was just a day to set standards and do a lot of learning, which I think everyone did a really good job of soaking up. Just being professionals today,” Smith said. “We’re trying to carry that on throughout the entire season.”
She also spoke to her early impressions of Dallas as a new city after the Wings landed her in free agency from outside the market.
“I haven’t spent a lot of time down here, so I’m excited. I’ve heard really good things. I love going out to eat and drinking coffee, so I’ll be running around to restaurants and cafes,” Smith said. “I’ve been here a day, and it’s already been great, so I’m excited to stack the days.”
Free Agency ‘Home Run’
Miller was unambiguous about Smith’s importance to the franchise’s offseason plans, describing her signing as part of a short list of post players the Wings had targeted aggressively once free agency opened. Alongside fellow free agent signing Jessica Shepard, Smith was a top priority in Dallas’ effort to overhaul its frontcourt.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with how free agency went. Improving our post play was a priority,” Miller said. “We targeted a very small group of post players, and Jess Shepard and Alanna Smith were at the top. If we got one, we’d be happy, if we got both, it was a home run. Getting both exceeded expectations.”
Miller said that free agency results carried directly into the draft, where the Wings’ improved frontcourt allowed the team to commit to taking Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft rather than feeling pressure to address post depth on draft night.
“That clarity in free agency made the draft decision clear as well, which ultimately pointed to Azzi,” Miller said.
Smith said the mix of young talent and returning veterans drew her to the Wings during the free agency process.
“I liked the young core. I think they’ve got a lot of talent,” Smith said. “And then also bringing back players like Arike and Maddy as well. I think we’ve got a bright future ahead.”
Projected Starting Role
Miller’s projected lineup has Smith penciled in as a starter alongside Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Fudd, and Shepard, a group the general manager described as the anchor of a 10-player rotation he expects to be among the deepest in the league.
“When you look at a projected lineup of Paige, Arike, Azzi, Jess, and Alanna, and then a second unit of Odyssey, Aziaha, Maddy Siegrist, Awak, and Li, that’s a strong 10,” Miller said. “And we haven’t even mentioned Alysha Clark. We’re excited about the depth and how the roster is shaping up.”
Smith is expected to take on a larger offensive role with Dallas than she had in recent stops, a shift she said she is embracing at this stage of her career.
“I’m excited. It’s going to be a fun change of roles and something different for me, which I look forward to,” Smith said. “It’s going to be a challenge, which I’m really excited for at this point in my career. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m going to learn, I’m going to grow, it’s going to be great.”
When evaluating the Wings’ talent level, particularly in the backcourt, Smith sees that playing with this group should open the floor for everyone.
“Super talented, especially through our guard spots. It’s going to make my life a lot easier,” Smith said. “When you have talent across all five spots on the floor, it’s hard to guard one person. Not only are those players going to thrive, but it’s going to make me better as well.”
Miller identified Smith as one of the Wings’ four top-eight players still absent through the early days of camp, along with Shepard, Ogunbowale, and fellow frontcourt piece Awak Kuier. He said the staggered arrivals have placed an added burden on Fernandez and the coaching staff as they install a new system.
“The hardest part is on the coaching staff. Jose is implementing a new system, and we’re missing key players,” Miller said. “Four of our top eight players, Alanna Smith, Awak Kuier, Jess Shepard, and Arike, aren’t here. There needs to be patience and some grace early in the season.”
Teammates Praise Defensive Presence
Smith is coming off a breakout two-year stretch with the Minnesota Lynx that culminated in a 2025 Defensive Player of the Year campaign. She averaged 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, along with 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game across 42 starts, earning All-Defensive First Team honors alongside the DPOY trophy. Smith was also named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2024 after averaging 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
Bueckers, in her own media availability, highlighted Smith’s defensive impact as one of the defining pieces of the Wings’ offseason additions, while framing Smith and Shepard as central to the team’s new versatility on both ends.
“We have a lot of versatility offensively and defensively, shooting, length, aggressive defensive mentality,” Bueckers said. “We have a Defensive Player of the Year-type presence, and Jess is one of the best playmakers in the league at the four.”
Siegrist, asked directly about Smith and Shepard as additions to the Dallas frontcourt, pointed to their defensive ability, basketball IQ, and floor-spacing versatility as a clear upgrade.
“I think the biggest thing is defensively. They’re great defenders, in the right spot, mobile, and versatile,” Siegrist said. “I’m excited to play with them rather than against them, banging with them for rebounds and things like that. They’re also high IQ players. The way they see the floor, get to the next pass, and score the ball, they bring a lot of different things. Ultimately, it’s about impacting winning.”
Familiar Faces Ease Transition
Smith said her chemistry with several Wings teammates from previous stops should accelerate her adjustment to the roster. Recent Unrivaled teammates Li Yueru and Ogunbowale are among the players she has shared a locker room with, and she has competed against Bueckers in previous stops.
“When you know people’s games, it helps a lot. Basketball is about chemistry and how you play with your teammates,” Smith said. “I’ve had the privilege of playing with Li and Arike before, and I’ve watched and played against Paige as well. So you’re already building that chemistry, which I think is going to go a long way.”
Smith offered a detailed scouting report on Shepard, her longtime peer in the league and new Wings teammate.
“Jess is one of the most underrated players in the league. Her IQ and the way she can play in space is unbelievable,” Smith said. “She’s going to bring that to this team, along with the ability to distribute and score for herself. She had a triple-double with Minnesota last year, and I think she can get multiple of those in a season. I’m really excited for her. I think this is a great place for her.”
Catching Up on a New System
Smith will have to catch up quickly on Fernandez’s installs once she rejoins the group, a process the coaching staff has been easing through nightly remote sessions with the absent players.
“The coaching staff is doing a tremendous job. After every practice, they communicate everything, terminology, sets, installs,” Miller said. “Practice ends, and then they go coach the players who weren’t there. That process continues throughout the night. It’s being received well, but it’s a big responsibility to coach remotely until those players arrive.”
Miller cautioned that the team’s limited continuity heading into the exhibition opener against the Indiana Fever will require an adjustment period, but he expects the group to come together as the schedule progresses.
“When we get to Game 1, we won’t have had much time together compared to teams that have continuity,” Miller said. “Our team will look a lot different in July than it does in May.”
What’s Next
Smith’s Saturday return will give Fernandez his first chance to integrate one of the Wings’ projected starters into five-on-five work, with Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu expected to arrive from Serbia the same day. Shepard could follow on Saturday or Monday, depending on her Italian League Championship series, and Ogunbowale is expected back Monday evening after wrapping her Chinese Championship run.
Kuier is the lone remaining Wings player without a confirmed return date as she awaits an immigration appointment in Finland.
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