How about: "Smith Hits Her Stride"?
NaLyssa Smith Finding Her Stride
In a season brimming with breakout potential, NaLyssa Smith is hitting her stride alongside her trio of co-stars. Although she started the season outside the starting lineup, her return to the first five has elevated her game to a new level.
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 WNBA draft is now a top-16 rebounder in the league, averaging seven rebounds per game. This is just shy of Indiana’s team leader, Aliyah Boston, by less than one rebound per game.
“I want to keep rebounding hard,” Smith said. “I know I can be one of the best rebounders in this league.”
Smith also ranks among the top-14 in the WNBA for field goal percentage, sinking 50.3 percent of her shots. She is the Fever’s highest-ranking player in this metric and has recorded nine games with a field goal percentage of 50 percent or higher.
We just really keep talking about paint touches,” coach Christie Sides said. “You’ve got to get paint touches… If you get a paint touch, it just collapses the defense. Especially with the way [Boston] and [Smith] are playing down there. You’ve got to play through your posts, and that’s not saying you just beat it in expecting them to get every shot. They just create wide open looks.
Smith’s offense has been a major factor in Indiana’s successes this season – she’s scored in double figures in six of Indiana’s seven victories. Her synergy with rookie guard Caitlin Clark is boosting the efficiency of Indiana’s offense, as she thrives off Clark’s ability to draw multiple defenders to the perimeter. As a result, Smith benefits from increased post touches, hitting 72 percent of her shots at the rim and 59 percent of her shots within 10 feet of the basket.
“It’s been a focus for us as a group,” Clark said. “We want to be able to play inside-out. We want to get our posts touches, and the more we can do that the better for [NaLyssa]… That’s the highest percentage shot in basketball. That’s the shot you want to get.”
Smith’s three double-doubles this season tie Clark for the second-most by a Fever player, behind Boston’s five. While Smith has been an efficient weapon on the offensive side of the ball, she also pulls her weight on defense.
“I’ve been challenged a lot this year defensively,” Smith said. “I took it as a challenge… I started taking defense a lot more seriously.”
She averages just over a block per game – a mark that’s improved significantly from her first two years in the league. Smith’s block total for the entire 2023 season was just 10. She’s already doubled that with 21 blocks through just 19 games in the 2024 season. Smith has swatted 10 shots over the Fever’s last seven games – a stark contrast to her block totals from last season.
As she continues to ascend, Smith aims to earn a spot on the court in Phoenix with the 2024 WNBA All-Stars. If she maintains her efficient play, she makes a strong case to be included in the All-Star frontcourt.
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