Alanna Smith can full her breakout season at new membership Minnesota with a title however she might want to navigate previous her Opals coach to do it when the WNBA Finals start in Brooklyn.
New York Liberty, coached by former Opals playmaker and present mentor Sandy Brondello, maintain home-court benefit within the five-game collection that begins at Barclays Centre on Friday morning AEDT.
Considered one of them will full a dream two months, in a position to boast a title and an Olympic bronze medal after the Opals’ impressed run to the rostrum in Paris in August.
A former eighth choose within the WNBA draft, 28-year-old ahead Smith debuted for Phoenix Mercury in 2019 and performed two seasons earlier than bouncing from Indiana to earn a beginning function at Chicago after which touchdown on the Lynx this yr.
As one in all three new Lynx starters, she averaged 10.1 factors, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 26 minutes per recreation this common season, incomes All-Defensive second staff honours alongside Opals teammate and Seattle star Ezi Magbegor.
Brondello stated your entire nationwide squad — eight performed within the WNBA this season — have been nonetheless on “cloud 9”.
Smith received bronze underneath Sandy Brondello in Paris. (Getty Photographs: Gregory Shamus)
“What we have been in a position to obtain, after a horrible opening recreation [loss to Nigeria], I nonetheless really feel nice,” Brondello stated.
“If I can get this achieved, I am going to be capable of sit again and mirror much more.
“To win a championship, it’d go down as one of many biggest seasons ever.”
Lynx are anchored by Napheesa Collier and relied on the arrivals of Smith, Courtney Williams and Bridget Carleton to enhance their aspect, whereas 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones lead a stacked Liberty aspect.
Liberty stay the one basis WNBA franchise and not using a title, having misplaced in all 5 of their earlier finals appearances, relationship again to 1997 and all the way in which as much as final yr’s loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
AAP
