Cheryl Reeve recalled a playoff game in 2024 in which the 6-foot-4 Alanna Smith walked off the floor at halftime shouting, “Can I get some help?”
Smith was tasked with guarding what Reeve described as a “6-foot-9” player — presumably referring to Brittney Griner of Phoenix in Round 1. Griner had 11 points at the half of Game 2. But no, help was not on the way.
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“You’re doing great,” Reeve told Smith.
It was all part of the game plan. Smith had to hold up as best as she could against the significantly taller center to allow Minnesota to devote more of its defensive resources elsewhere. Sure enough, the Lynx won the game to close out the series.
Those are the things Reeve and Co. have been able to put on Smith’s plate since she arrived in Minneapolis last season. Their body types suggest both Smith and Napheesa Collier are power forwards. But it’s Smith who’s tasked with guarding centers. And she meets the task every time.
She was third this season in blocked shots per game (1.9) and tied for 13th in steals (1.3).
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Smith anchored Minnesota’s league-leading defense, which held opponents to just 0.975 points per possession.
It all added up to Smith earning co-Defensive Player of the Year honors along with Aces’ star forward A’ja Wilson. Smith won the honor a year after Collier did so. Those two form the most fearsome defensive frontcourt in the WNBA and have established Minnesota’s identity.
“We collectively want to be hard to play against. Lan takes that on,’ said Reeve, the Lynx head coach and general manager. “She personifies every possession (what it means to) be difficult to play against. Her will is greater than their will to do whatever they’re trying to do. That’s what Lan personifies.”
That’s not easy. Being difficult to play against means you have the intelligence to know what the opponent wants to do and the will to do everything in your power to take it away. The difficulty of that battle for Smith is multiplied on a nightly basis, given she’s often guarding the other team’s best post player, and giving up size in doing so.
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“She’s highly competitive. I told her this year after one of our games — she might be one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around, one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever coached. So it starts there,” Reeve said. “She takes pride in her matchup. Her instincts, her positioning, her intelligence allow her to be in great spots to take advantage of either keeping someone from catching it … playing the schemes the way we need them to be played. We just have a tremendous amount of trust.”
Smith said her persistent approach to defense is to attempt to make an impact on every possession, and then live with the result. It usually equals more stops, and more wins, for the Lynx.
Persistence defines Smith’s story. She was cut by Indiana in 2022, at which point she stepped away from the league entirely. The 29-year-old’s ascension from that point to this one came from “not staying bitter but getting better.”
“I think not allowing setbacks to define who you are in your career,” Smith said. “That’s something that I think I’ve unconsciously been able to do. I haven’t really had to think about it, but I think being able to set that example to others, and be an inspiration and remind others that setbacks don’t define your own future.”
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Your actions do. And Smith’s play had the Lynx both on the brink of a title a year ago, and firmly back in championship contention this fall.
“Phee and I had this discussion, once we get our defense up to being at the top, we will be a championship contender,” Reeve said. “I didn’t necessarily know that when we signed Lan it would catapult us so quickly into that space, but the chemistry … it’s the reason why we’re sitting here talking about the possibility of a championship.”
