Alanna Smith's journey from Australia to Stanford and on to the WNBA wasn't always easy — but 'the good times are always going to be that much sweeter,' the Chicago Sky forward says.
When Chicago Sky forward Alanna Smith looked to attend college and play basketball, going outside Australia wasn’t really popular. There were a few athletes from the country at U.S. colleges, but most were encouraged to stay.
“I faced a lot of adversity in my career. From my beginnings, trying to get to Stanford, and then at Stanford and injuries,” Smith said. “I had surgery two years in a row. Even before I was in college, I had two surgeries. I had back problems. My career has kind of felt like an uphill battle from the start.
With the Sky this season, Smith has seen her game improve. Through 18 games she is averaging 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and two assists. Her dad, Darren Smith, had a 12-year professional career in Australia, playing for four teams in the National Basketball League . With that experience, he’s the person she has found to be the most understanding of what she goes through as a professional athlete.
Since she was drafted, Smith knew she could have an impact in the WNBA. In addition to battling injuries, she also dealt with how difficult an early career in the highly competitive league is due to the number of talented players and very few roster spots. In order to persist, Smith tried not to fall in the trap of comparing herself to others.
“She’s very underrated and she plays really, really hard,” Wade said. “A lot of times, we just saw she was on the floor a lot. So we were like, ‘Why is she on the floor a lot?’ Well, she’s on the floor because she plays so hard.”
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