Las Vegas Aces Strengthen with NaLyssa Smith
The Las Vegas Aces have finalized the acquisition of forward NaLyssa Smith, coming from the Dallas Wings, in exchange for a first-round draft pick in 2027.
This transfer, announced on Monday, ends an unproductive stage for Smith in Dallas, where she failed to shine as expected. The player, originally from Texas and trained at Baylor, was recording her lowest averages in points, rebounds, and minutes played with the Wings.
Smith arrived at the Wings after a trade in the offseason. The 24-year-old was part of a major roster restructuring, prior to the April draft.
In her three seasons with the Fever, Smith was a consistent scorer, averaging double figures in points and nearly eight rebounds per game, although her production decreased after Caitlin Clark’s arrival in Indiana last season.
In the current season, Smith’s minutes have decreased to 19.1 per game, with averages of 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Smith, selected at number 2 in the 2022 draft by Indiana, was included in the WNBA’s first rookie team after an outstanding career at Baylor, which included a national championship in her first year. Smith is from San Antonio.
The Aces, two-time WNBA champions in 2022-23, have had a start to the season below expectations, following the departure of Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks and the incorporation of Jewell Loyd from Seattle in a trade involving six teams in the offseason.
The agreement forced the Wings to release Kaila Charles, who had signed an emergency contract on June 17.
