Fever pitch: Alanna Smith's chance to start fresh with Indiana

Having signed a training camp deal with the Indiana Fever, a team crying out for talent and depth, Alanna Smith has a chance to reinvigorate her WNBA career.

Alanna Smith has proven herself with Adelaide in the WNBL this season. Photo credit: Michelle Couling Photography

Alanna Smith entered the 2022 WNBA off-season as a free agent and she’s landed a training camp deal with the Indiana Fever. In three seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, Smith was unable to cement a spot in the rotation, with injuries, a star-studded team that was hard to break into and inconsistent form all playing roles in her finding it difficult to get minutes.

That could all change in Indiana.

After reaching the WNBA Finals with the Mercury last season in a team that boasted incredible talent and depth, Smith joins a Fever team on the opposite end of the spectrum, coming off a league-worst six-win and 26-loss season.

Indiana has butchered their last two drafts with lottery picks that are no longer on the team (2020 #3 pick Lauren Cox is now with Los Angeles and 2021 #4 pick Kysre Gondrezick was waived over the off-season and has since signed with Chicago), so the Fever needs to re-group and acquire low-risk, potentially high-reward players.

Alanna Smith fits that bill.