‘We’ll Hear From The Medical Staff’: Alanna Smith Probable For Dallas Wings Against Atlanta Dream

ARLINGTON, Texas — Alanna Smith is listed as probable with a right leg injury for Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Dream, the Dallas Wings announced on Tuesday’s game status report. Smith is the only player carrying a designation for the game at College Park Center.

Following Tuesday’s practice at College Park Center, Wings coach Jose Fernandez was asked how Smith had progressed.

“Yeah, she practiced the whole day,” Fernandez said. “Hopefully she gets through shootaround, and then we’ll hear from the medical staff about what she can and can’t do tomorrow.”

Fernandez had been asked the same question a day earlier, after Smith took part in Monday’s session.

“We’ll see how she does tomorrow, how she feels after tomorrow, and then after shootaround,” Fernandez said Monday.

Smith suffered the right leg injury July 12 in a win over the Chicago Sky. Dallas listed her as doubtful for the next two games, against the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty, before upgrading her to questionable ahead of the July 22 game at the Portland Fire. Earlier in the season, she cleared the WNBA’s concussion protocol on July 2, an injury that traced back to a collision in a June 20 game against Chicago. She had also been playing behind a protective mask after suffering a nasal fracture in the preseason.

Alanna Smith’s Season With The Dallas Wings

Through 20 games, Smith is averaging 3.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 14.2 minutes per game. She is shooting 38.5% from the field, 20.0% from three-point range, and 64.3% from the free-throw line. Her season totals sit at 76 points, 57 rebounds, 21 assists, 13 steals, and 7 blocks across 284 minutes.

Smith shared the 2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award with A’ja Wilson while with the Minnesota Lynx, and she is a two-time All-Defensive selection. The Phoenix Mercury drafted her eighth overall in 2019 out of Stanford.

Basketball Australia named Smith to the Opals’ final 12 for the FIBA Women’s World Cup, which runs Sept. 4-13 in Berlin. Australia went 5-0 at the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Istanbul. Smith was named to the All-Star Five at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the Opals won bronze.

Awak Kuier has often started in the frontcourt lately, and Jessica Shepard has continued to play a large role, with Li Yueru working behind them at center. Fernandez was asked Tuesday about evaluating that group over the final stretch of the regular season.

“As you get closer to the end of the year and the playoffs, the rotation naturally shrinks,” Fernandez said. “A lot of it comes down to versatility, and sometimes it’s opponent-based as well. But as we get toward the end of the season, most teams are going to play eight or nine players.”

Angel Reese And The Atlanta Dream Front Line

Atlanta beat Dallas 77-72 on May 12 at College Park Center and 86-69 on May 22 in Atlanta. The Wings have dropped four straight regular-season meetings with the Dream and have not beaten Atlanta since July 24, 2025. Atlanta leads the all-time series 31-20.

Speaking Monday about the matchup, Fernandez named the three Atlanta bigs he expects to see Wednesday.

“But with Angel Reese, Madina Okot, and Naz Hillmon, they have an imposing front line, along with other players who come off the bench and make an impact,” Fernandez said.

Okot went thirteenth overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft out of South Carolina and ranks second in the WNBA at 64.7% from the field. Hillmon won WNBA Sixth Player of the Year in 2025. Reese led the league in rebounding in 2024 and 2025.

Fernandez was asked Tuesday what Reese presents as an offensive rebounder.

“That’s the challenge. She’s physical,” Fernandez said. “The really elite offensive rebounders want to go get it off the glass. You’ve got to stay active, keep a body on her, force her out, and then come over the top to secure the rebound.”

Tuesday’s practice covered sideline out-of-bounds sets, baseline out-of-bounds sets, free-throw block-outs, and coming out of timeouts, Fernandez said. He returned to the first meeting with Atlanta when asked what carries over.

“The last game we lost here at home, we lost it on the glass, not on the offensive end,” Fernandez said. “We dominated for 39 minutes in New York, but Atlanta dominated us on the offensive glass here. That’s going to be a huge key tomorrow.”

What’s Next For The Dallas Wings

Dallas enters at 18-9 and has won seven of its last eight games, most recently a 101-97 win at Portland on July 22. Shepard finished that game with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists for the fourth triple-double of her season and the fifth of her career. Atlanta is 16-10 and has won three of its last four, beating the Sky 93-91 in its final game before the break.

Shootaround at College Park Center opens for media viewing at 10:45 a.m. CT Wednesday, with players and coaches available from 11 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. CT. Fernandez meets with reporters again at approximately 5 p.m. CT.

Tip-off is 7 p.m. CT at a sold-out College Park Center. The game airs nationally on USA Network and locally on KFAA.