Alanna Smith

Alanna Smith is a player who finished the season strong and impressed many people with her new and improved 3-point shooting. She finished the season shooting a career-high 39.8 percent from 3 and she has been locked in on the defensive side of the ball. The 6-foot-4 forward finished her first season in Minnesota averaging 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals — career highs in both assists and steals. Smith has been an essential piece to the Minnesota Lynx because she provides the team with depth and a 3-and-D player who can impact the game with or without the ball in her hand.

Smith is a unique player because of her ability to guard multiple players and shoot from just about anywhere on the court. She does an excellent job of taking the high-percentage shot and is an underrated passer who hits players right in their pockets. Her size and ability to move allow head coach Cheryl Reeve to play a small ball lineup with her in the front court, giving the Lynx an entirely new dimension.

Smith’s sixth season in the league was filled with career highs across the board, however, improving her rebounding will go a long way toward making those Lynx small ball lineups viable in more matchups. The Lynx will also need her to be more aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. The Stanford product can also improve her shot selection when it comes to the midrange down to the post area. She has the ability to post up but sometimes bails out her defenders with a quick shot instead of backing them down in the post.