Aces acquire NaLyssa Smith from Wings for 1st-round pick in 2027

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces have acquired forward NaLyssa Smith from the Dallas Wings for a 2027 first-round draft pick.

The trade announced Monday ends what had been a disappointing Dallas debut for Smith, a Texas native who played at Baylor. She was averaging career lows in points, rebounds and minutes for the Wings, who started 1-11 before winning four of their past six games.

Smith joined the Wings from Indiana in an offseason trade. The 24-year-old was part of a major roster makeover before Dallas selected Paige Bueckers No. 1 overall in the draft in April.

In three seasons with the Fever, Smith was a double-figure scorer each year while averaging nearly eight rebounds per game, although her production dipped after Caitlin Clark joined Indiana last season.

This year, Smith's minutes are below 20 for the first time at 19.1 while she is averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.

Smith, the No. 2 pick by Indiana in 2022, made the WNBA All-Rookie first team after a standout Baylor career that included a national championship when she was a freshman. Smith is from San Antonio.

The Aces, who won back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022-23, are off to a disappointing start after sending Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks while adding Jewell Loyd from Seattle in a six-team trade this past offseason.

The trade required the Wings to release Kaila Charles, who signed a hardship contract on June 17.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball