The Las Vegas Aces announced on Thursday that forward NaLyssa Smith will miss the remainder of the 2026 season.
Smith crumpled to the floor late in the third quarter of the Aces’ game vs. Toronto on Sunday, grabbing her left leg. There did not appear to be any contact that caused the injury and Smith was subbed out on the next dead ball.
The 6-foot-4 Smith is averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, complementing four-time Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson in the Las Vegas frontcourt. She leads the WNBA in field-goal percentage, shooting 63.8% from the floor.
“Lyss is a soldier,” Wilson said postgame Sunday. “God has his hands on her, and we’re going to continue to be beside her through this whole process.”
Smith, 26, played for the Indiana Fever from 2022-24 and signed with Dallas for the 2025 season. The Wings traded her to Las Vegas on June 30, 2025 for the Aces’ 2027 first-round draft pick.
Smith averaged 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds over the final 27 games of that season and played in all 12 postseason games as the Aces captured a third title in five seasons.
Smith has started 176 of 186 games over six WNBA seasons and averages 11.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
Per WNBA rules, the Aces can sign a free agent at a minimum contract to replace Smith through a season-ending injury exemption. But the team cannot use a waived WNBA player in the postseason, so they may look to sign an international player.
–Field Level Media
