{"id":598551,"date":"2026-04-12T06:02:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T06:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/598551\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T06:02:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T06:02:18","slug":"wnba-co-defensive-player-of-the-year-alanna-smith-signs-with-dallas-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/598551\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith signs with Dallas Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Wings have found their new center.<\/p>\n

A person directly involved with the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday night that the Wings are signing Alanna Smith to a multi-year deal. The person requested anonymity because the deal hasn’t been officially announced.<\/p>\n

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Smith was the WNBA\u2019s co-Defensive Player of the Year last season with the Minnesota Lynx, sharing the award with A\u2019ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.<\/p>\n

The addition of Smith rounds out a busy week for the Wings in free agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dallas signed free agent forward Jessica Shepard, re-signed four-time All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale, and traded Diamond Miller to the Connecticut Sun for forward Rayah Marshall. Awak Kuier, who the Wings drafted second overall in 2021, has signed her contract with Dallas and will return to the WNBA after spending the last two seasons in Italy and Turkey.<\/p>\n

Dallas will, of course, make one more high-profile addition on Monday night with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.<\/p>\n

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A 6-foot-4 center from Australia, Smith played collegiately at Stanford where she was an All-American and two-time All-Pac-12 selection before the Phoenix Mercury drafted her eighth overall in 2019.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

With the Women’s Final Four complete, all eyes turn towards the 2026 WNBA Draft. The WNBA draft takes place Monday, April 13, in New York, and this year’s event has a different feel. Unlike the last two drafts, where Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were consensus No. 1 overall picks, this year’s top spot is up for grabs. After an exciting March Madness, it’s time to see who helped their stock and who fell down the draft board. Is Awa Fam still at the top? Is Azzi Fudd a top-five draft pick? Who vaulted into the first round? <\/p>\n

Here’s USA TODAY’s latest 2026 WNBA mock draft: 1. Dallas Wings: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
– After a stellar NCAA Tournament run, Betts has done enough to earn consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. While the Bruins center will need to work on shooting more baskets in the mid-range and later from deep, she can be inserted into Dallas’s lineup when the season starts on May 8. Her length and size make her an immediate threat in the post, along with her passing abilities and rebounding prowess.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

With the Women’s Final Four complete, all eyes turn towards the 2026 WNBA Draft. The WNBA draft takes place Monday, April 13, in New York, and this year’s event has a different feel. Unlike the last two drafts, where Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were consensus No. 1 overall picks, this year’s top spot is up for grabs. After an exciting March Madness, it’s time to see who helped their stock and who fell down the draft board. Is Awa Fam still at the top? Is Azzi Fudd a top-five draft pick? Who vaulted into the first round? <\/p>\n

Here’s USA TODAY’s latest 2026 WNBA mock draft: 1. Dallas Wings: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA
– After a stellar NCAA Tournament run, Betts has done enough to earn consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. While the Bruins center will need to work on shooting more baskets in the mid-range and later from deep, she can be inserted into Dallas’s lineup when the season starts on May 8. Her length and size make her an immediate threat in the post, along with her passing abilities and rebounding prowess.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

2. Minnesota Lynx: Olivia Miles, G, TCU
– Minnesota doesn’t struggle to move the ball, but adding Miles into the mix gives the Lynx the ability to take their offensive movement up a level. The TCU guard has a high basketball IQ, which should help her with the rookie learning curve on a team with championship aspirations. Head coach Cheryl Reeve can also bring out the best in Miles defensive skills as she adjusts to WNBA play.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

3. Seattle Storm: Azzi Fudd, G, UConn
– Fudd had a very underwhelming NCAA Tournament aside from her second round game against Syracuse. The slump won’t stop her from being drafted. The UConn guard’s shot is still the purest in college basketball, and her ability to be an offensive threat at any moment is something you don’t see as often at the rookie level. Fudd also rarely wastes a movement or a shot, making her a prime candidate to draft.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

5. Chicago Sky: Kiki Rice, G, UCLA
– Until veteran Courtney Vandersloot returns, the Sky need a guard who can facilitate, score when needed and defend. Rice, who finished a career year in a UCLA uniform, has proven she can do it all. The senior guard has improved her ability to read opposing defenses, maintain patience with solid footwork and recover in help defense. Rice would also take some pressure off Hailey Van Lith, who struggled during her rookie season.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

6. Toronto Tempo: Flau’jae Johnson, G, LSU
– Johnson has a score-first mentality, and she does it in a variety of ways: midrange, downhill in the paint and from the 3-point line. She’s one of the top defensive guards in the 2026 class, and if she can improve her defensive awareness at the pro level, she can become an elite two-way guard. Head coach Sandy Brondello should also be a tremendous asset to Johnson’s growth.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

7. Portland Fire: Ta’Niya Latson, G, South Carolina
– Latson’s NCAA Tournament run was a mixed bag. That shouldn’t hurt her WNBA draft stock, but it wasn’t hard to notice as the level of competition rose (with games against TCU, UConn and UCLA), she struggled to find her shot or ways to contribute. At the pro level, she’ll be asked to do more, and she’ll need to lean into her aggressiveness to have success.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

8. Golden State Valkyries: Gabriela Jaquez, G, UCLA
– If a team gives her any space, Jaquez will make them pay. The guard can do it all, with assists, 3-pointers, in the paint, on the boards or by creating a steal. She should fit well within Golden State’s “hard hat and lunch pail” culture, where they pride themselves on having energy on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

9. Washington Mystics: Raven Johnson, G South Carolina
– While Johnson has proven she can score when needed, it’s her facilitation skills and defense that will make her a top 10 pick. The South Carolina guard does a great job of feeding her bigs and spreading the offense out to find the best shot. She is also a lockdown defender who leaves little room for error and isn’t afraid of anyone on a court, regardless of size.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

10. Indiana Fever: Gianna Kneepkens, G, UCLA
– Kneepkens ended her college career shooting nearly 50-40-90, which is impressive and rare in today’s college landscape. The UCLA guard’s game isn’t flashy, but it’s often timely. Kneepkens knows how to step into the big moments, as she did in the national championship when she delivered two massive 3-point baskets during an extended Bruins’ run.<\/p>\n

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Our WNBA mock draft could be full of future stars<\/p>\n

13. Atlanta Dream: Madina Okot, C, South Carolina
– Atlanta needs depth. Adding Okot would help the Dream with their post presence and perimeter shooting. The South Carolina big can score from multiple levels and will crash the glass. If Atlanta brings veteran center Brittney Griner back, Okot would learn from one of the best in league history at the position.<\/p>\n

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14. Seattle Storm: Marta Suarez, F, TCU
– Suarez’s NCAA Tournament run wasn’t great, but she did have a breakout game against Virginia during the Sweet 16, which included a career high 33 points plus 10 rebounds. The outing was a glimpse of Suarez at her best, which could entice Seattle to add Suarez as depth now and starter later.<\/p>\n

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15. Connecticut Sun: Cotie McMahon, F, Ole Miss
– McMahon would work well in a young core of players like Saniya Rivers, Leila Lacan, Aaliyah Edwards and Aneesah Morrow. The Ole Miss forward is a utility piece that the Sun could utilize to its advantage. She does most of her damage in the paint \u2015 Connecticut’s specialty \u2015 and could also help facilitate, if needed. Once McMahon gets crisper as a defender, she’ll be dynamite at the next level.<\/p>\n

After bouncing around from Phoenix to the Indiana Fever and then to the Chicago Sky, Smith found a consistent role over the past two seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, starting in all 81 games she appeared in for Cheryl Reeve\u2019s squad. Across two seasons in Minnesota, Smith averaged 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, helping the Lynx make back-to-back playoff appearances \u2014 including a trip to the Finals in 2024.<\/p>\n

Smith made the WNBA\u2019s All-Defense team in each of the past two seasons. She\u2019s also improved as a 3-point shooter, making 39% of her looks from behind the arc in 2024 and 33% last season.<\/p>\n

Smith and Shepard played together in Minnesota last season, and their established chemistry could be a boost for the Wings\u2019 revamped front court.<\/p>\n

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The Wings’ new center also played with Ogunbowale in Unrivaled this winter and the duo helped Mist BC win a championship. Smith has also featured for her native country on the international stage, helping Australia win the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics by notching a double-double in the third-place game.<\/p>\n

On paper, with the additions they\u2019ve made in the past week combined with their young core of WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James, Maddy Siegrist and JJ Quinerly, the Wings have the makings of a team that could contend for a playoff spot under first-year head coach Jose Fernandez.<\/p>\n

Whoever the Wings draft on Monday night will be another instrument in Fernandez\u2019s expanding toolbox.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dallas Wings add defensive anchor Alanna Smith in WNBA free agency<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Wings have found their new center. A person directly involved with the negotiations told USA TODAY…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":598552,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[629],"tags":[4662,24808,12201,21317,49,48,726,3458,3459,24532,2803,35092,21320,3460,42097,736,4658,3461,220888,82,61187,7186,630,38381],"class_list":{"0":"post-598551","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-aja-wilson","9":"tag-alanna-smith","10":"tag-arike-ogunbowale","11":"tag-aziaha-james","12":"tag-ca","13":"tag-canada","14":"tag-chicago-sky","15":"tag-connecticut-sun","16":"tag-dallas-wings","17":"tag-diamond-miller","18":"tag-indiana-fever","19":"tag-jessica-shepard","20":"tag-jj-quinerly","21":"tag-las-vegas-aces","22":"tag-maddy-siegrist","23":"tag-minnesota-lynx","24":"tag-paige-bueckers","25":"tag-phoenix-mercury","26":"tag-rayah-marshall","27":"tag-sports","28":"tag-the-wings","29":"tag-usa-today-sports","30":"tag-wnba","31":"tag-wnba-draft"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=598551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=598551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=598551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}