NaLyssa Smith has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season, the Las Vegas Aces announced Thursday. Smith, one of the Aces’ starters and a key part of last year’s championship team, suffered a non-contact left leg injury against the Toronto Tempo on Sunday and left the game immediately.
Smith was the fourth-leading scorer on the Aces’ active roster with 11.7 points per game and was the second-leading rebounder with 6.4 per contest. She was also leading the WNBA in field-goal percentage (63.8 percent). By most advanced metrics, she was the most valuable player on Las Vegas outside the big three of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray.
“Lyss is a soldier,” Wilson said postgame Sunday. “God has his hands on her, and we’re going to continue to be beside her through this whole process.”
The Aces acquired Smith on June 30 last season. She joined the starting lineup one game later, and the team went 21-5 the rest of the way before winning a third title in five seasons.
The team now has a gaping hole at the power forward slot. Head coach Becky Hammon often closes with a small lineup, with either Gray or Jewell Loyd playing the 4 on defense. However, for the rest of the game, Brianna Turner and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus are closer to centers; Turner has offensive limitations while Hammon doesn’t appear to trust Parker-Tyus’ defense. Rookie Justine Pissott seems unlikely to gain a larger role in the rotation, as she has played only 81 minutes in 2026 thus far.
Smith’s absence will be felt most acutely on the glass. Las Vegas struggles to generate second chances without her on the court. The sixth-year forward is an athletic rebounder and has learned to fill the gaps created by defenses focusing on Wilson in the frontcourt.
The Aces have already been granted a season-ending injury exemption for Smith, so they can sign a free agent at a minimum contract to replace her. They were in the running for DeWanna Bonner but lost out to the Atlanta Dream. The deadline has passed for players to be eligible for the postseason if waived by another team, so Las Vegas has to look outside the WNBA for options.
It has already done so this season by signing Mai Yamamoto on July 17 to replace Janiah Barker. Yamamoto has become a key part of the rotation since. The upcoming 17-day FIBA break could be an opportunity for a new player to acclimate to Hammon’s system in Las Vegas.
The Aces are third in the WNBA standings, a half-game ahead of the Dream with the tiebreaker. They have the easiest remaining schedule in the league; all five of their upcoming games are against lottery teams.
It’s unlikely that Las Vegas can move up, as the No. 1 seed is out of reach and the Golden State Valkyries are two losses ahead with only one game remaining against a fellow playoff team. However, the No. 3 seed should be the floor for the Aces, even without Smith the rest of the way.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
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