Alanna

Smith

Without Napheesa Collier for the second straight game with a back injury, Smith had to step up and in the first half she did. Her Lynx teammates found her cutting to the basket for most of her scores. The Mystics defense lost sight of Smith on these cuts, keeping their attention glued to Lynx guards Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams. Smith hit 60% of her shots in the first half, but that changed in the second half where Smith was less efficient and her looks weren’t as easy. Shakira Austin was more keyed into Smith especially, contesting a lot of her jump shots.

Kliundikova was tabbed to fill the massive void left by Napheesa Collier, who did not play on Saturday due to a lower back injury. Making her second career start, the 6-foot-4 center was impactful on both ends of the floor, shooting 50 percent from the field and recording five “stocks” in her 27 minutes on the floor. Kliundikova’s opportunities moving forward depend on the availability of Collier and Alanna Smith (6/8/3/0/2 with one three-pointer vs. Los Angeles), as evidenced by her only playing three minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Aces. However, Kliundikova’s play against the Sparks likely left a positive impression on Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.

Smith’s three-point play with 18.2 seconds remaining did not impact the outcome of Tuesday’s game, as Minnesota was comfortably ahead. However, it did ensure the veteran forward of her first double-double of the season. Smith’s 13 rebounds were the most she’s recorded in a Lynx uniform and the most in a game for her since July 22, 2023, when she set a career-high with 17 boards as a member of the Sky. Per ESPN’s standard scoring, this was Smith’s fifth game with at least 30 fantasy points in 11 appearances this season.

Smith logged one of her least productive games of the season on Saturday, though she was limited to just 22 minutes of game action. Smith momentarily left the game in the second quarter after suffering an ankle injury before returning to the lineup following halftime. The injury, in addition to the large margin of victory, likely led to the lower minutes and minimal production from the veteran forward. She’ll get a couple of days of rest before having the chance to bounce back on Tuesday against the Aces.

Smith efficiently scored the basketball especially running in transition and in the pick-and-roll with Courtney Williams. But Smith couldn’t deliver late in the fourth quarter when the Lynx needed her to score the most. With 32 seconds left in regulation and the Lynx down by just four points, Kayla McBride drove through the teeth of the defense and then dropped the ball off to a wide open Smith in the dunker spot without a Storm defender on her. Smith missed the wide open bunny and that led to the Lynx fouling and sending Erica Wheeler back to the free throw line which brought the Storm lead to six points with 25 seconds left.

Ogwumike began the first half steady, scoring 11 first half points on 5-of-8 shooting. However, it was her 10-point third quarter that really pumped energy into the Storm to give the Lynx their first loss of the season. Ogwumike didn’t miss a shot in that third quarter including a turnaround hook and-one she made off balance on a cut with Alanna Smith’s out stretched arms in Ogwumike’s field of view that tied the game at 62 with 2:51 left in the third. This was all part of a 19-5 run Storm run throughout the final six minutes of the third quarter. Ogwumike felt especially comfortable in the pick-and-roll alongside teammate Skylar Diggins. The two connected on three field goals including a 28-foot three during that third quarter run.

Smith did not have a good afternoon shooting the basketball, as she missed all five of her three-point attempts and was 2-of-9 from the field overall. However, that did not prevent her from providing excellent value in other areas, most notably rebounds and blocked shots. Smith matched her season-highs in both categories, and Sunday’s game was also the second straight in which she dished out six assists. Smith has averaged 26.6 fantasy points per game in ESPN leagues this season, ranking 15th among frontcourt players.

While McBride only got two shots in the first half, that didn’t stop her from making an impact on Tuesday night. Instead, the Lynx’s number two option changed her focus over to playmaking and found Alanna Smith on the wing for wide open threes and Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams in their spots to score inside the paint. After a quiet scoring half, McBride picked up her aggression in the second half, taking and making a pair of threes from the left corner pocket in the fourth quarter to completely put the game away. McBride scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half.

In seven total games played, Smith has shot 50 percent from deep, which includes drilling a trio of treys on Tuesday night against the Mercury. In addition to her sharpshooting, Smith was spacing the floor via her movement without the basketball as both Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams found her cutting to the basket for two scores in the game’s middle quarters. As for Smith’s playmaking, half of her six assists were to Collier on Tuesday night, finding her frontcourt partner at her spots in the paint. Smith maintained the highest overall plus/minus out of all players on the floor, finishing the game with at +31.

Collier did not play in Friday’s win over the Mercury, with Jessica Shepard replacing her in the Lynx starting lineup. Shepard will likely retain that role if Collier cannot play on Sunday, making her a worthwhile streamer in fantasy leagues. This would also result in more opportunities for starter Alanna Smith, who scored 19 points and blocked four shots against the Mercury.