NaLyssa Smith Could Be Key for Aces Against Her Former Fever Team
The Las Vegas Aces will need a good game from NaLyssa Smith if they're to beat the Indiana Fever on July 5, especially because superstar center A'ja Wilson isn't playing because of an ankle injury.
The good news for Las Vegas is that Smith has already proven she can excel in Wilson's absence, such as when she scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds during the Aces' overtime win against the Chicago Sky on July 3.
Like with Kamilla Cardoso in Chicago, the Fever have an imposing paint presence in center Aliyah Boston. Smith holding her own against Boston will be crucial for the Aces because if she can't establish herself in the post on both offense and defense, then Indiana will continue to feed Boston and let the offense revolve around her.
Also crucial is that Smith stays out of foul trouble during Sunday's game. A'ja Wilson is Las Vegas' only true center, and Smith will already be at a size disadvantage when matching up against Boston. She tallied four fouls when facing Kamilla Cardoso on Friday, and since there isn't much depth in the Aces' frontcourt behind her, she'll need to defend Boston without fouling on Sunday, especially early in the game.
Fever Matchups Must Mean More for NaLyssa Smith
One would imagine that facing the Indiana Fever contains more emotion for Smith than facing most other WNBA teams, since she was drafted by the Fever in 2022 and spent three seasons with the franchise.
While Smith enjoyed some success in Indiana, she wasn't always the most consistent on the court, and some of her social media activity off the court complicated her relationship with Fever fans during the 2024 season.
One example of this is when Smith made an X post in October of 2024 that read, "who yall think the best passer in the league is".
who yall think the best passer in the league is
— #3 (@NaLyssaSmith) October 5, 2024
While this could be seen as an honest question, Fever fans took exception to it because they felt like Caitlin Clark (who was just coming off a record-breaking rookie season with the Fever) was the league's clear best passer, and Smith's apparent uncertainty about this frustrated them.
Ultimately, all of that is in the rearview, as Smith has found her stride with the Aces and has thrived there since arriving on the team in 2025, and the Fever have found a lot of success after Smith's tenure on the team.
Still, Smith might have even more of an incentive to perform against the Fever on Sunday, given her history with the franchise.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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