NaLyssa Smith didn't contribute as much as she wanted, doesn't know what future holds

INDIANAPOLIS — NaLyssa Smith's third season in the WNBA didn't go how she expected.

Drafted No. 2 overall in 2022 by the Fever , Smith has been a starter since. However, her usage dipped this season.

"Everybody comes into the season thinking they're going to have this outstanding accolade, achievement, you know, season," Smith said during Fever exit interviews Friday. "I feel like I didn't get to do as much as I wanted to do. I didn't get to contribute as much as I want to contribute."

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Smith averaged 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds on 28.5 minutes per game in 2023, but those numbers dipped to 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds on 24.8 minutes per game this season. Throughout the last 10 games of the season, Smith only played around 20 minutes per game, while other starters played 30 or more. Temi Fagbenle also took over her spot in the starting lineup on two different occasions — for two games in May and in Game 2 of the playoffs .

Still, coach Christie Sides said, Smith was crucial to the Fever this season.

"Lys is an incredible player, and she had great moments for us throughout the year," Sides said. "I mean, she is one of the key pieces that we were able to have such a successful year. The conversations that we had yesterday in our in our exit meetings was just about how she can be better, and how she can help our team be better. And I love that about her. I love that she wants to make sure that she is doing what she has to do to be better."

Smith barely played during the Fever's two-game playoff run. She recorded nine minutes after starting Game 1, and came off the bench for four minutes in Game 2. Throughout the season, Smith has been vocal about her disappointment in her usage on the court, posting on social media about her amount of touches and playing time .

"It was really hard, because coming in, there was a lot of different conversations of how it was gonna play out," Smith said. "So just it fluctuating throughout the season, it was a lot of highs and lows."

On Thursday, Smith posted a statement on X and Instagram, expounding on how her third season didn't go as planned. In the post, she thanked her teammates, family and friends for uplifting her throughout the season, and said she has never doubted her basketball abilities, despite what happened this season.

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Fever center Aliyah Boston, who has been Smith's teammate for two years now, commented on the post Smith was "destined for greatness."

"Lys is my sister, and I think we've just been able to build a relationship like that for the past two years, and I'm super blessed to always have her in my corner," Boston said Friday. "And I did mean what I said, I know that she's destined for greatness, and I think throughout this entire season, you know, this season for all of us wasn't perfect. It had its ups and downs, but I think something I'm so proud of her about is that she came in every single day and she had a smile on her face."

At face value, Smith's post seemed like a goodbye to the Fever. Smith set her location on the Instagram post to 'Who knows,' and changed her X and Instagram bios from @indianafever to @wnba.

On Friday, she said her post Thursday was not a goodbye post to the team that drafted her — it was more of an appreciation post, along with an acknowledgement that things are ever-changing for WNBA players.

"I've been hearing that a lot, but I didn't think it was a goodbye," Smith said. "It was more just like, you know, me appreciating all the people that did help me get through this season, and just just helping me keep my mental health on straight. I just put I don't know what the future holds, because in this league, so many players jump around, get traded, get waived, get this, get that. So it's like, I could have said the same thing last year, this year, I don't know what my future holds."

Smith is still on her rookie-scale contract, and the Fever picked up her fourth-year team option, putting her under contract through the end of the 2025 season. It is a protected contract, meaning Smith is guaranteed her $91,581 salary whether she plays for the Fever or not. There are options for the Fever to negate Smith's contract if either Indiana or Smith wanted to part ways: it includes a trade or a buyout, or she could be picked in the upcoming expansion draft if the Fever leave her unprotected.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NaLyssa Smith didn't contribute as much as she wanted, doesn't know what future holds