The Dallas Wings made their biggest offseason splash Saturday, locking in Alanna Smith, the WNBA’s reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year, on a deal designed to transform their interior defense. The 6-foot-4 forward arrives as a switchable rim protector whose shot-blocking and instincts are expected to stabilize the paint right away. With Dallas still holding the No. 1 pick in Monday’s draft, the move signals a clear plan to blend veteran defensive grit with a young offensive core.
Deal details
ESPN reported that Smith agreed to a three-year, maximum-salary contract, which the team confirmed through reporting of her agent. The agreement gives Dallas a multiyear solution at a frontcourt spot the front office had circled as a top free-agency priority. The signing was finalized and reported late Saturday as teams around the league were hammering out last-minute deals.
What the Wings said
Wings general manager Curt Miller said in a team statement that “Alanna Smith was our top target going into free agency,” highlighting her defensive versatility and locker-room character. The organization presented the move as both an on-court upgrade and a cultural fit for a roster already built around rising stars. Local coverage and the team release emphasized Miller’s belief that Smith can affect matchups across multiple coverages, according to The Dallas Morning News.
By the numbers
Smith’s 2025 stat line explains why Dallas was so aggressive: she averaged about 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals, piling up 80 total blocks and ranking among the league’s premier shot-stoppers. Those numbers, along with her All-Defense recognition, helped her earn a share of the Defensive Player of the Year honor, as detailed by ESPN.
Where this leaves Dallas
Smith’s arrival caps a busy stretch for the Wings, who recently re-signed Arike Ogunbowale and Awak Kuier and brought in Jessica Shepard as part of a broader offseason push. The front office now pairs those veteran additions with its franchise cornerstone pieces and the No. 1 overall draft pick, a mix that gives coach Jose Fernandez both depth and flexibility. The WNBA has scheduled the 2026 draft for tomorrow, according to the league’s announcement, and that selection figures to be the next major roster milestone for Dallas (WNBA).
Smith’s resume and what to watch
Originally the eighth pick in the 2019 draft, Smith has made stops in Phoenix, Indiana, Chicago and Minnesota, spending the last two seasons with the Lynx, where she grew into a full-fledged defensive force. She also claimed a bronze medal with Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics, an experience the franchise pointed to when discussing her leadership credentials and international pedigree. The team release, carried via OurSportsCentral, framed Smith as a plug-and-play defensive anchor for Dallas.
Wings fans will get their first real look at how Smith meshes with the team’s scorers when the regular season approaches and Monday’s draft reshapes the depth chart. For now, Dallas has addressed its biggest offseason question about interior defense: it signed the player it most wanted.
