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Wings' Alanna Smith update is a trade plan no one saw coming
Wings' Alanna Smith update is a trade plan no one saw coming originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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Alanna Smith's 2026 season hasn't gone according to plan.
Three months ago, Smith -- fresh off sharing Defensive Player of the Year honors with A'ja Wilson -- signed a three-year max contract to anchor the revamped Dallas Wings ' frontcourt.
But just days before the Aug. 2 trade deadline, Smith and the Wings might be headed for a divorce.
MORE : Sparks risk repeating familiar mistake with Kelsey Plum trade plan
The 18-9 Wings have been one of the WNBA's surprise teams this season. But Smith hasn't factored much into that success. The 29-year-old forward has made only seven starts and averages just 14.2 minutes per game.
Smith's stats have fallen precipitously as a result. She is averaging 3.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.4 blocks per game while playing on a million-dollar salary .
According to The Athletic's Annie Costabile , the Wings are trying to trade Smith before the Aug. 2 trade deadline. And Dallas has an interested buyer in the Phoenix Mercury , with whom Smith began her career in 2019.
The Mercury is 10-18 and desperate to salvage a season that has gone so wrong following a 2025 WNBA Finals appearance. Acquiring Smith to pair with Alyssa Thomas in the frontcourt would give Phoenix a needed boost defensively as it tries to hunt down the Washington Mystics for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Phoenix would have to send out some salary to acquire Smith, as her salary is greater than the Mercury's existing $857,740 in cap space. But a return to the desert could be just what Smith needs to reboot her career after a tough season in Texas.
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WingsAlanna SmithDefensive PlayerYearThe Sporting NewsAdd The Sporting NewsPreferred SourceThreeSmithWilsonDallas WingsAug
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