NaLyssa Smith earned just about every single accolade with her performance at Baylor in 2021. The 6'4 forward was named an All-American by five different organizations, was the consensus Big 12 Player of the Year, and won the WCBA Wade Trophy for National Player of the Year. Her honors were well-deserved, as she shot 56.1% from the floor while leading Baylor to the Elite Eight and ranking top 25 in the NCAA in six separate offensive categories. Her monster season in 2021 followed a 2020 campaign in which she led the team with 11 double-doubles and a 2019 season in which she was the only freshman to play in all 38 games. Perhaps her most memorable performance came as a freshman when she scored 14 points on 7 of 9 shooting in Baylor's victory over Notre Dame in the NCAA title game.
Smith, a five-star recruit in high school, chose Baylor over South Carolina, Ohio State, and Louisville. She was a 2018 McDonald's All-American and is from Converse, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio.
Smith was the second overall pick in the WNBA draft in 2022. She has made an immediate impact as she has started every game she has played so far. She has averaged 12.8 points per game and 29.4 minutes per game. Smith looks to continue performing at a high level every day for the Indiana Fever.
