8
Aug
Aussies in the WNBA
Smith stacking minutes only upside in Wings' blowout loss
Australian Opals forward Alanna Smith (#8) attacks the basket for the Dallas Wings against Golden State Valkyries centre Kiah Stokes (#41) during the second half of Dallas' WNBA clash at American Airlines Center on August 8, 2026 (AEST) in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Highlights
Four Australians took the floor across three games and only one of them scored in double figures.
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Dallas Wings and Australian Opals forward Alanna Smith top-scored among Australians with 11 points and six rebounds as Golden State rolled the Wings 94-76 at American Airlines Center on Saturday, August 8, 2026 (AEST).
Four Australians took the floor across three games and managed 16 points between them. Smith had 11 of those.
She went 2-from-6 from the field, 2-from-5 from deep and 5-from-6 from the charity stripe, added six rebounds and a steal, and finished minus-28.
That last number was the worst on the floor.
The Valkyries posted a franchise-high 27 assists and made it three straight to move to 22-9. Former WNBL star Veronica Burton scored 22, Gabby Williams 19, and Kayla Thornton had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Paige Bueckers led Dallas with 17. The Wings, now 19-13, played without rookie of the year candidate Azzi Fudd, who warmed up but was ruled out with right knee soreness.
A crowd of 16,444 watched at American Airlines Center, home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and the Wings' home floor from 2027.
Miela Sowah, 26, did not play for Golden State.
Sami Whitcomb, 38, scored five for the Phoenix Mercury in a 75-72 loss at the Connecticut Sun.
She went 1-from-4 from the field, 1-from-3 from three and 2-from-2 from the charity stripe, with a rebound, an assist and a steal, and finished plus-1.
Connecticut trailed by 16 in the first half and won it at the buzzer, Brittney Griner blocking Kelsey Plum's three at the top of the key.
Kennedy Burke scored 15 and Aaliyah Edwards 14 off the bench. The Sun did not have a starter reach double figures.
Plum led Phoenix with 25. The Mercury went 13-from-23 from the charity stripe and that was the game.
Connecticut retired Alyssa Thomas' No. 25 before tip-off, honouring the 11 seasons she gave the club. Thomas then played against them, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Phoenix.
The Sun are 8-23. Phoenix are 12-21.
Georgia Amoore, 25, did not score as the Washington Mystics beat the Atlanta Dream 79-74 for a sixth straight win, equalling the franchise record set by the 2019 championship team.
Amoore had a rebound and two turnovers on 0-from-1 shooting, and finished plus-3.
At the other end, Isobel Borlase, 21, had a rebound and two turnovers on 0-from-2 shooting, and finished minus-6.
Shakira Austin carried Washington with 21 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, and Kiki Iriafen added 15.
The Mystics blocked 12 shots, a franchise record, nine of them in the first half, also a franchise record.
Atlanta shot a season-worst 32.5 per cent, 25-from-77. Allisha Gray scored 26, Rhyne Howard 19, and Angel Reese pulled 16 rebounds while going 1-from-12 for seven points.
Washington move to 18-12. Atlanta drop to 19-12 and have now lost two straight after winning five.
Next up, Sunday, August 9, 2026 (AEST)
- 3:00am, Las Vegas Aces at Minnesota Lynx. Stephanie Talbot against Chloe Bibby.
- 5:30am, Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky. No Australian.
- 10:30am, Seattle Storm at Portland Fire. Ezi Magbegor and Jade Melbourne against Nyadiew Puoch.
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