NaLyssa Smith was born on August 8, 2000, in San Antonio, Texas, United States. She is a professional basketball player who, as of October 2025, is playing for the Las Vegas Aces. She was drafted as the second overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. Smith was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2022.
Smith has played four seasons in the WNBA as of December 2025. Smith also played overseas for Galatasaray in the Turkish Women’s Basketball Super League. Additionally, she was also a member of the United States women's national under-18 basketball team at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in 2018, where she helped her team win the gold medal in the city of Mexico City.
NaLyssa Smith College
Smith attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she played for the Baylor Bears from 2018 to 2022. As a freshman, she became the only player to play all 38 games, averaging 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds.
During her sophomore year, she played 27 of 28 games for the Baylor Bears, averaging 14.3 points and 8 rebounds, earning a spot on the ALL-Big 12 First Team. She was also named to the Naismith Trophy midseason team in 2020, and she won her first Big 12 Player of the Week award on November 11. In her junior year, she became one of the most decorated players in team history by being named All-American by AP, WBCA, Wooden, and ESPN. Smith won the Big 12 Player of the Year Award. In the NCAA tournament, she scored 24 points in a match against Michigan, tying the tournament record for most field goals made without a miss with 11. She was awarded the Wade Trophy and the Katrina McClain Award.
In her senior year, she was named All-American by seven different entities and awarded the Katrina McClain Award for the second time. She was also selected for the Big 12 Player of the Year and the Big 12 All-Defensive by the league coaches. She finished her collegiate career with 2,048 points and a total of 1,098 rebounds.
NaLyssa Smith's High School
NaLyssa Smith graduated from East Central High School, where she played basketball. During her high school career, she averaged 23.4 points per game, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks as a senior. She was ranked as the No. 3 recruit and had a five-star rating from ESPN.
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FAQ's On NaLyssa Smith
A. NaLyssa Smith is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall.
A. NaLyssa Smith's jersey number is 3.
A. As of October 2025, NaLyssa Smith is 25 years old.
A. NaLyssa Smith holds American nationality.
A. In the 2024 season, NaLyssa Smith averaged 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 24.8 minutes per game.
