The Dallas Wings are on the road Sunday night to face the Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 of the first round of the WNBA playoffs. But the Wings will be missing a couple of key players for this important game.
Why is Alanna Smith not playing today?
The Wings have ruled out forward Alanna Smith for Game 1 because of a lower left leg injury, according to ESPN. She will miss her fifth straight game.
The 32-year-old Smith has played 32 games for the Wings this season, including 18 starts. She has averaged 6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1 assist while playing 17.9 minutes per game.
Although Smith has not played the most minutes for Dallas, she has helped the team with her defense and rebounding. The Wings are now waiting to see if she can return during their playoff run.
Why is Azzi Fudd not playing today?
Azzi Fudd is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on her right knee and she will miss the rest of the season, according to Yahoo Sports, which cited the Dallas Wings' announcement.
{{/usCountry}}Azzi Fudd is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on her right knee and she will miss the rest of the season, according to Yahoo Sports, which cited the Dallas Wings' announcement.
{{/usCountry}}Fudd has not played since the Wings' loss to the Washington Mystics on August 5. She scored nine points and had three steals in 34 minutes in that game.
The Wings selected Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's WNBA Draft. She averaged 13.1 points, 1.8 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game this season, per Yahoo Sports.
Also read: Is Tyreek Hill still injured? Where is the WR playing in 2026 and when could he return?
Wings' other injury update
Along with Smith and Fudd, the Wings have also ruled out Costanza Verona due to personal reasons.
There is some good news for Dallas, though. Alysha Clark is off the injury report and will return Sunday after missing Wednesday's game with a facial injury.
Dallas enters Sunday's game as the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 27-17 record. The Wings reached the playoffs after beating the Seattle Storm on Wednesday.
Paige Bueckers led Dallas in that game with 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Jessica Shepard also had a strong game, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.