As the Dallas Wings take the floor against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, they’ll be continuing to integrate two former Lynx standouts as the anchors of their own frontcourt.
Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard both joined the Wings this past offseason on seven-figure, multi-year deals. Dallas was in need of a frontcourt revamp, and general manager Curt Miller went into free agency with a list of targets. Bringing in just one of the two would have made Miller happy, but the team was able to lure both.
“You look at all the post players that were going to go back to their teams that they were previously playing on, you got really quickly to Jess Shepard and Alanna Smith that potentially were willing to move,” Miller said at the team’s media day. “For us to land both of them was a huge free agency get for us in what we wanted to do and improve our overall post game.”
As Dallas sits at 1-1 through two games, the two are still getting comfortable. Neither experienced a full training camp, with Shepard only arriving before the second preseason game and Smith missing some practice time due to visa hurdles. Still, there have been early signs of the impact the two can make on the team.
Shepard, in particular, has looked like her typical self and shined for the team offensively. She opened the season with a near triple-double against the Indiana Fever, putting up 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
She has the ability to bring the ball up the floor in transition, and her capabilities as a passer in the frontcourt have been valuable. Her efficiency inside — she led the WNBA in field goal percentage in 2025 — hasn’t gone anywhere, either.
“I’ve known what (Shepard’s) been capable of for a long time,” Smith told reporters after shootaround Tuesday. “I think she’s a really unique, special player. We’re really lucky to have someone like her who can facilitate at her size and strength, and with her IQ too, she makes it easier to play the game on both sides of the floor.”
Shepard said she’s been pleased with her own ability to push the pace as well as “being the calm” in the Wings’ offense at times.
The forward also could be an effective pick-and-roll partner for Paige Bueckers. Dallas’ star guard attracts significant defensive attention on ball screens, and having a forward who can take advantage of that commitment from opponents will help the Wings’ offense thrive.
“She’s a really easy player to play with,” Shepard told reporters about Bueckers. “From the first day, just because she communicates so much, there’s never confusion for me on the offensive or the defensive end with her.”
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Meanwhile, Smith’s early output hasn’t sparked as much excitement. The 2025 co-Defensive Player of the Year is shooting 3-for-14 from the field and hasn’t hit a 3-pointer in seven attempts. Her assist numbers have been equal to her turnovers in both games as well.
In the opener, foul trouble played a role in Smith only seeing 20 minutes on the floor. She’s also had to sport a mask for both games as a result of a hit she took to the face in preseason.
“It’s just annoying,” Smith told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “There are worse things in life, to be honest. … There’s some limits in visibility, and it gets sweaty and you’re always aware of it, but at the end of the day, it allows me to be on the floor.”
It’s still early for both Smith and Shepard. The duo’s previously established chemistry flashed on the court as they traded touch-pass assists against the Atlanta Dream. Dream guard Allisha Gray played with Smith in Unrivaled, and said pregame Tuesday that the Wings’ frontcourt remodel heightened their pace.
“I feel like it made them faster,” Gray said. “Jess and Lan. I was able to play with Lan at Unrivaled. But, I mean, she’s a great defensive player, also can shoot the three. They’re also great rebounders, and they both can stretch the floor.”
The two will look to continue to grow as they go up against their former team. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, who also is without star Napheesa Collier due to injury, has filled in her starting frontcourt with Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey. Off the bench, rookie center Emma Cechova has scored double-digits in both of the team’s games.
There are areas of improvement for Dallas on both ends of the floor, especially after a stagnant offensive game in the loss to Atlanta. Defense has been the consistent emphasis from players and coaches, however, and Minnesota’s attack will be the next test. The starting forward with defensive accolades to her name will be a significant part of the improvements on that end.
“I think we have some stuff to clean up, just communication-wise and playing together a little bit more, but that comes with experience,” Smith said. “I think we’ve got a very capable team in terms of defense. I think we could be really good defensively, but we just need to learn how to play together.”
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