The 2024 WNBA season has been quite a thrilling one from the beginning. Whether you look at the star power of the rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese or the MVP-like year of A’ja Wilson, the fans are on an exciting ride. Among these huge stars is the 2022 second-overall pick and Clark’s teammate NaLyssa Smith. While she is mesmerizing us all in every game through her fast-paced balling, another aspect of her game also excites many. That is rebounding. Following Indiana’s fourth win in the streak, she has set a target for herself.

While she is usually the funny one, inside the lines, NaLyssa Smith is just like her rookie teammate Caitlin Clark. To exert more attention on her goal for the season, she told the postgame presser what she had in mind. Talking about her rebounding so far, she said, “I’m trying to get back to double-doubles every game. I want to keep rebounding hard. I know I could be one of the best rebounders.”

The closest Smith came to a double-double this season was in fact in the latest game against Atlanta Dream. She scored 21 points and 9 rebounds while shooting an impressive 58.8% from the field. Currently, the Baylor alum is averaging 6.9 rpg. However, with her words above, she is certainly not throwing darts in the dark.

While she may be at the 24th rank in the league right now, her previous two years have shown her true potential. In her rookie season, Smith averaged 7.9 rpg and ranked sixth in the same stat. Her previous year was even more productive in the post as she collected 9.2 rebounds per game. These numbers got her to the fourth spot in the WNBA. Both times, the 2x reigning champion A’ja Wilson was above her.

Hence, despite having played more games this season than the Aces, NaLyssa Smith has challenged the 3x WNBA blocks leader that she is coming for her post. At the same time, Angel Reese, who sits on the second-ranking this season, is also a target for the veteran. Let us see how many people Caitlin Clark has on her target board this season.

Caitlin Clark and her checklist for the season

Time and again, the 2x Naismith Player of the Year has mentioned how she is more focused on having fun. However, if the past is any lesson, she is no stranger to rewriting history books. While she may be into rebounding as much, her fans surely expect a few showcase-worthy performances from her. Many times, it involves her threes and passes. As expected, she is not disappointing, despite the slow start of the season.

The fans are not seeing a lot of deep shots or Logo-3s from the Fever rookie so far. Still, she currently ranks at the second spot for most threes made in the W. In fact, Kayla McBride of the Minnesota Lynx is the only player ahead of her with 5 more threes. In assists per game, Caitlin Clark ranks in the fourth position right now. However, last night, she tied for the third-fastest player in the league to grab 100 career assists.

Although not there yet, not many would argue that Caitlin Clark is surely getting more comfortable in the W. For NaLyssa Smith, she has always proven to be the key to the offense for Indiana. It would not be surprising if we see her in a much higher rank for rebounds by the end of the season. For now, there is a long way to go. Next, the Fever will face Chicago at Wintrust Arena on Sunday.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.