Smith Finding Her Stride

                           June 28, 2024

         By Madie Chandler | FeverBasketball.com

          In a season overflowing with breakout potential, NaLyssa Smith is finding her walk nearby her trio of co-stars. In spite of the fact that she found herself exterior of the beginning lineup early in the season, Smith’s return to the to begin with five has made a difference her reach a modern gear.

The No. 2 choose in the 2022 WNBA draft is a top-16 rebounder in the association, snatching seven bounce back per amusement. That trails Indiana’s team-leader Aliyah Boston by less than one bounce back per game.

“I need to keep bouncing back hard,” Smith said. “I know I can be one of the best rebounders in this league.”

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She sits among the top-14 in the WNBA in field objective rate, as well, sinking 50.3 percent of her shots. She is the Fever’s most noteworthy positioning player by this metric, and has recorded nine diversions with 50 percent or more noteworthy field objective percentage.

“We fair truly keep talking around paint touches,” coach Christie Sides said. “You’ve got to get paint touches…If you get a paint touch, it fair collapses the defense. Particularly with the way [Boston] and [Smith] are playing down there. You’ve got to play through your posts, and that’s not saying you fair beat it in anticipating them to get each shot. They fair make wide open looks.”

Smith’s offense has been a major piece in Indiana’s triumphs this season – she’s scored in twofold figures in six of Indiana’s seven triumphs. Her collaboration with rookie watch Caitlin Clark is boosting the effectiveness of Indiana’s offense, as she flourishes off of Clark’s capacity to draw different shields to the edge. As a result, Smith is the recipient of expanded post touches, hitting 72 percent of her shots at the edge and 59 percent of her shots inside 10 feet of the basket.

“It’s been a center for us as a group,” Clark said. “We need to be able to play inside-out. We need to get our posts touches, and the more we can do that the superior for [NaLyssa]…That’s the most noteworthy rate shot in ball. That’s the shot you need to get.”

Smith’s three double-doubles this season tie Clark for second-most by a Fever player, behind Boston’s five. She’s been an effective weapon on the hostile side of the ball, but Smith pulls her weight on the protective conclusion as well.

“I’ve been challenged a part this year defensively,” Smith said. “I took it as a challenge…I begun taking defense a part more seriously.”

She midpoints fair over a square per challenge – a check that’s seen advancement taking after her to begin with two a long time in the association. Smith’s piece add up to for the whole 2023 season was fair 10. She’s as of now multiplied that check with 21 pieces through fair 19 diversions in the 2024 season. Smith has swatted 10 shots over the Fever’s final seven recreations – a stark differentiate from her piece sums fair one season ago.

As she proceeds to climb, Smith looks to play her way onto the court in Phoenix with the 2024 WNBA All-Stars. If she proceeds her proficient play, she has a case to be included in the All-Star frontcourt.