.jpg) Smith with theDallas Wings in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 – Las Vegas Aces | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | WNBA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (2000-08-08)August 8, 2000 (age 25) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | East Central (San Antonio, Texas) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Baylor (2018–2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WNBA draft | 2022: 1st round, 2nd overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Indiana Fever | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Indiana Fever | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Athletes Unlimited League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Galatasaray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Zhejiang Golden Bulls | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Mist BC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Dallas Wings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Las Vegas Aces | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at WNBA.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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NaLyssa Smith (born August 8, 2000) is an American professionalbasketball player for theLas Vegas Aces of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball forBaylor, winning theNCAA Division I Championship in 2019 and theWade Trophy in 2021.[1] She was drafted second overall by theIndiana Fever in the2022 WNBA draft.
Smith grew up inSan Antonio and played atEast Central High School, averaging 23.4 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game as a senior. A five-star recruit and the no. 3 recruit byESPN, Smith committed to playingcollege basketball atBaylor over schools such asSouth Carolina,Ohio State, andLouisville.[2][3]
As a freshman, Smith came off the bench for the Lady Bears and provided steady minutes. Baylor coach,Kim Mulkey, praised Smith and said that she won many games for the Bears during their national championship season because opposing teams were too focused on the team's star players,Lauren Cox andKalani Brown.[4] In thenational championship game, she came off the bench to replace an injured Cox and put up eight points and four rebounds to help Baylor win the title overNotre Dame.[5]
Smith was promoted into the starting lineup in her sophomore year and improved on her production, averaging 14.3 points and 8 rebounds en route to earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. She also led the Lady Bears indouble-doubles with a total of 11.[6]
Smith continued to improve, averaging a near double-double and winningBig 12 Player of the Year.[7]
In theNCAA tournament, Smith scored 24 points in the Lady Bears' Sweet Sixteen match againstMichigan and tied a tournament record for most field goals made without a miss with 11.[8]
Smith's stellar season garnered her a number of awards, such as theWade Trophy, theKatrina McClain Award, andAll-American honors from theAssociated Press,Women's Basketball Coaches Association, and theUnited States Basketball Writers Association.[9]
On April 11, 2022, Smith was drafted second overall by theIndiana Fever in the2022 WNBA draft,[10] and would go on to be selected to theWNBA All-Rookie Team alongside then teammate,Queen Egbo.
On January 31, 2025, sports journalistKendra Andrews reported that Smith and the 8th pick in the2025 WNBA draft would be traded to theDallas Wings in a three-way team deal that would sendSophie Cunningham and the 2025 19th overall pick from thePhoenix Mercury to the Fever.[11] The deal was finalized on February 2, 2025 and was officially part of a larger four-team trade.[12]
On June 30, 2025, Smith was traded to theLas Vegas Aces in exchange for the Aces' first round draft pick in 2027.[13]
On August 30, 2023, she signed withGalatasaray of the TurkishWomen's Basketball Super League (TKBL).[14]
Smith signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of theWomen's Chinese Basketball Association for the 2024–2025 season.[15] She was released by the team after suffering an ankle injury.[16]
In January,Mist BC signed Smith to a relief player contract due toDiJonai Carrington andJewell Loyd being unavailable for their January 24 game versusPhantom BC.[17]
Smith was a member of theUnited States women's national under-18 basketball team at the2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, helping them win the gold medal inMexico City.
She was selected to represent theUnited States women's national under-19 basketball team at the2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup, but withdrew due to injury concerns.[18]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
| † | Denotes season(s) in which Wilson won aWNBA championship |
| * | Denotes season(s) in which Smith won anNCAA Championship |
Stats current through end of 2025 regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Indiana | 32 | 32 | 30.7 | .419 | .381 | .618 | 7.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 13.5 |
| 2023 | Indiana | 31 | 28 | 28.5 | .477 | .284 | .677 | 9.2 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 15.5 |
| 2024 | Indiana | 40° | 37 | 24.8 | .480 | .292 | .567 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 10.6 |
| 2025 | Dallas | 18 | 15 | 19.1 | .425 | .182 | .617 | 4.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 6.7 |
| Las Vegas† | 27 | 26 | 22.7 | .556 | .375 | .607 | 5.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 8.2 | |
| Career | 4 years, 3 teams | 148 | 138 | 25.8 | .467 | .326 | .618 | 7.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 11.3 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Indiana | 2 | 1 | 6.5 | .000 | — | — | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 2025 | Las Vegas† | 12 | 12 | 23.1 | .578 | 0.0 | .407 | 5.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 7.1 |
| Career | 2 year, 2 teams | 14 | 13 | 20.7 | .569 | 0.0 | .407 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 6.1 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19* | Baylor | 38 | 1 | 15.3 | .543 | .111 | .681 | 5.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 8.4 |
| 2019–20 | Baylor | 28 | 27 | 24.1 | .586 | .000 | .746 | 8.0 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 14.3 |
| 2020–21 | Baylor | 31 | 31 | 30.5 | .561 | .214 | .792 | 8.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 18.0 |
| 2021–22 | Baylor | 35 | 35 | 32.9 | .550 | .237 | .795 | 11.5 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 22.1 |
| Career | 132 | 94 | 25.4 | .558 | .200 | .768 | 8.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 15.5 | |
Smith is the daughter of Rodney and Nikki Smith. She is in a relationship with her former Baylor teammateDiJonai Carrington. Her father played basketball atUTSA, and her brother, Rodney Jr., played soccer at theUniversity of Saint Mary.[20]
· Basketball Reference 
