BERLIN — Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith is out for the remainder of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup with a lower leg injury. ESPN Australia/New Zealand reported the ruling early Wednesday, five days after Smith limped off in Australia’s tournament opener.
FIBA rules do not allow the Opals to bring in a replacement. Once the technical meeting is declared closed, the 12-player roster is locked for the duration of the competition, which leaves Australia with 11 available players for the rest of its run in Berlin.
Alanna Smith’s Injury Against Puerto Rico
Smith was hurt on Sept. 4 at Max-Schmeling-Halle in a 70-54 win over Puerto Rico. She scored 10 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and shot 4-of-5 in 12 minutes before limping on a contested defensive rebound in the second quarter. She walked off unassisted, talked with a team physio, and rejoined her teammates on the bench. Basketball Australia described her second-half absence that night as precautionary due to lower leg tightness.
Opals coach Sandy Brondello had no status report on Smith when she met reporters afterward, five days before the ruling that ended Smith’s tournament.
“I don’t have a status report on Alanna,” Brondello said. “Obviously we’re praying that she’ll be okay. She’s such a big part of what we do, and she had played great in the 12 minutes that she did play.”
Zitina Aokuso started the second half in Smith’s place and finished with 6 points. Stephanie Talbot led Australia with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists and was named player of the game. Ezi Magbegor had 11 points and 9 rebounds. Australia turned the ball over 22 times.
Smith did not play again. Australia beat Türkiye 87-71 on Sept. 5, then lost 80-68 to Belgium on Sept. 7 at Berlin Arena, a result that dropped the Opals to second in Group C behind an unbeaten Belgium side. Magbegor led Australia with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists on 7-of-12 shooting in that loss. Belgium finished with 27 assists to Australia’s 18.
Second place sent Australia into the qualification round instead of straight through. The Opals play Italy at 1:45 p.m. CT Wednesday at Berlin Arena, with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal against Spain. The tournament runs through Sept. 13, and the champion earns direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. TNT, truTV, and HBO Max carry the World Cup in the United States.
DSJ reported on Sept. 5 that the FIBA roster rule could leave Australia with 11 players for the remainder of the event.
Alanna Smith’s First Season With the Dallas Wings
Smith signed a three-year maximum contract with Dallas in April after two seasons in Minnesota. She has appeared in 32 games with 18 starts this season, averaging 6.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 17.9 minutes while shooting 45.7% from the field and 26.1% from 3-point range.
In 2025 with the Lynx, Smith played 42 games and averaged 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists with 1.9 blocks. She shared the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award that season and made the All-Defensive First Team. The year before, she made the All-Defensive Second Team.
Before the tournament, Smith told Melissa Triebwasser of The IX Sports that her Wings teammates on other national rosters would be opponents for two weeks.
“It’s so cool that we’ve got so much diversity on the team, and so I’m excited to just get to Berlin and be able to see my now-teammates become opponents, and I’ll be cheering for them personally,” Smith said. “I hope they do well on a personal level, but I hope their teams lose.”
One of them is on the other bench Wednesday. Costanza Verona is with Italy, and Dallas placed her contract on hold so she could join the Italian national team for World Cup camps and exhibitions. Paige Bueckers is with the United States, and Wings coach José Fernández is in Berlin as a Team USA scout coach.
Dallas is 24-16 and won its last four games before the break. The Wings clinched a playoff berth on Aug. 25 with a 96-78 win over the Portland Fire at College Park Center, their first postseason appearance since 2023.
Dallas resumes the regular season Thursday, Sept. 17, against the Los Angeles Sparks at College Park Center at 7 p.m. CT, followed by the Phoenix Mercury on Sept. 19, a rematch in Phoenix on Sept. 21, and a finale at the Seattle Storm on Sept. 23. The WNBA playoffs begin Sept. 27. No timetable has been announced for Smith’s return.
