For Alanna Smith, hitting the hardwood at the Olympics is nothing new. But this time, she’s returning with a revised Australian roster that is expected to be one of the toughest teams to beat at the Olympics. The Opals team she’s enlisted in stands at the third spot in FIBA rankings.

Still, it won’t be a smooth sail, especially when Smith is highly expected to compete against her Lynx teammate, Napheesa Collier. Sounds competitive, right? Read on to know more about the Minnesota Lynx standout player set to make her second Olympic appearance.

Alanna Smith’s early success

At 15 years old, Alanna Smith made her international debut at the 2011 FIBA Oceania U16 Championship. The following year, she once again got enlisted on Sapphires and this time, she returned with a fifth-place finish. But this was not everything Smith aimed for.

This led her to make a switch from Sapphires to Gems. At the 2014 FIBA Oceania U18 Championship, Smith made her debut for Gems. Still, she was eager for a medal at an international level. Soon, the opportunity knocked on the door, and she returned with a U19 World Championship bronze. But this time, it wasn’t just a third-place finish.

As one of the five strongest players in the tournament, she was awarded a spot on the All-Tournament team. Meanwhile, she also played four seasons for the Cardinals. All this seemed to be an illustrative basketball career. But for Smith, her aim was to reach the Olympics.

FIBA: A stepping stone

As she realized this, she stunned everyone at the 2017 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. She was a standout for Opals, averaging the second-highest 10.8 points and the third-highest 5.3 rebounds per game. In fact, she led Australia to finish as runners-up while qualifying for the World Cup. Smith then played for the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

As she knew how to hit the bird’s eye, she yielded her best 10 points and 5 rebounds. One after another, Australia counted wins and finally landed up against the USA in the finals. Though they lost the final game, Smith left her mark with 10 points in the game.

In 2019, she continued to play abroad in South Korea, to improve her skills and stats. Still, she wasn’t satisfied with all that she had. Further, she inked the deal for the 2020 WNBL season when she got an offer from Adelaide Lightning. What’s better than signing with the home team? And she finally returned to Australia. But, this isn’t the only thing she was doing throughout the 2019-2020 season.

Smith’s WNBA career

After playing four seasons for the Cardinals, Smith entered the WNBA as the eighth overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in 2019. Initially, the forward played for only 7.4 minutes per game and was able to clinch a mere 1.1 points per game. However, in the following season, she improved not only her playing time but also her scores. Smith scored 6.1 points in 15.6 minutes each time she hit the hardwood.

The impressive performance lasted for only one season, and once again she struggled on the court with low playing time. This time, Smith played strategically and made a switch. In 2022, she joined the Indiana Fever, which turned out in her favor, and she finally averaged 4.3 points per game. Still, Smith wasn’t satisfied with her scores in the WNBA and once again made a switch.

This time, she opted to join the Chicago Sky, where she finally got 26.5 minutes per game, enough to better her scores from 4.3 to 9.2 points per game. She then joined the Minnesota Lynx for the 2023-2024 season. All that she has done over the past few years has led to her improved skills and scores. As of now, she’s averaging 11.5 points per game. She has improved from a lower average to an above-average player in the WNBA. Her ultimate goal was to play in the Olympics.

Patience and hard work paid off

Smith had two goals in mind that she could achieve with a single effort. All she needed was to better her skills, and she did. Finally, it was 2020, an Olympic year. As Smith aimed, she even got her name on the Australian Olympic team roster. Soon, all her dreams were shattered as the world suffered from COVID-19. Even when the situation got better and the team entered the court, they were at their worst.

The team’s first two group-stage matches were losses. Despite all this, they reached the quarterfinals, where they faced Team USA. But soon, the Australian Olympic team returned home after an upsetting 79-55 loss. As for the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning an Olympic gold won’t be easy for the Opals.

Especially when they are expected to face defending champions Team USA, vying for their eighth consecutive gold. What do you think? Comment down below!

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.