Australia vs Hungary Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Alanna Smith of Australian National Team cheers from the substitute benchduring the Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Groupe Phase - Group A between Australia National Team and Hungary National Team at Turkcell Basketball Development Center on March 14, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul Istanbul Turkey Copyright: xBurakxBasturkx
Australia vs Hungary Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Alanna Smith of Australian National Team cheers from the substitute benchduring the Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Groupe Phase - Group A between Australia National Team and Hungary National Team at Turkcell Basketball Development Center on March 14, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul Istanbul Turkey Copyright: xBurakxBasturkx
While the tail end of the WNBA regular season is on a mid-season break, the FIBA Women’s World Cup is in full swing. However, one Australian Opals star’s run has ended following a recent injury.
According to an X post by ESPN Australia & NZ, Dallas Wings star Alanna Smith will sit out the rest of the tournament due to a lower-leg injury she sustained during Australia’s first Group stage game on September 4, 2026.
“BREAKING: Alanna Smith is out for the remainder of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup after sustaining a lower leg injury in the Opals’ first game of the group stage,” the X post stated.
Australia vs Hungary Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Alanna Smith of Australian National Team in action during the Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Groupe Phase - Group A between Australia National Team and Hungary National Team at Turkcell Basketball Development Center on March 14, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul Istanbul Turkey Copyright: xBurakxBasturkx
Australia vs Hungary Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Alanna Smith of Australian National Team in action during the Women s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments Groupe Phase - Group A between Australia National Team and Hungary National Team at Turkcell Basketball Development Center on March 14, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul Istanbul Turkey Copyright: xBurakxBasturkx
Per the September 9 ESPN X post, Smith was injured while defending against Puerto Rico during the September 4 game.
Smith scored 10 points and eight rebounds in her 12 minutes of play before she was seen limping off the court, per USA Today. Unfortunately, she was unable to return to the court.
Soon after that, the Australian team announced that the 2025 WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year will sit out the rest of the international tournament. No official timeline for her return has been announced as of writing this article.
But even as Smith is focusing on her recovery, a bigger concern remains. Being a key part of the Dallas Wings roster, it remains unclear how the team’s WNBA run will be affected by her absence if she fails to return by the time the regular season resumes.
Will Alanna Smith’s injury affect the Dallas Wings’ WNBA postseason?
According to a report by Roundtable Sports, Smith’s injury might negatively affect the Dallas Wings’ 2026 WNBA postseason run.
“The 6-foot-4 forward has been a significant addition to Dallas, which has had its best season since the franchise relocated to North Texas in 2016. She is averaging 6.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game,” the report states. “This season, Smith has played in 32 games and has started 18. She has missed eight games this season due to injury while averaging 17.9 minutes per game.”
What’s more, this isn’t the first injury Smith has faced. According to USA Today, Smith also missed a game in June due to the league’s concussion protocol after she sustained a face and head injury during the Wings’ June 20 game against the Chicago Sky.
She was also sidelined for multiple games in July due to a right-leg injury she suffered.
However, under first-year head coach José Fernández, the Wings might be able to make their first successful postseason run in three years with his new motion offense.
The team’s depth, defense and veteran presence was also bolstered this offseason, which may help fill the gap left by Smith’s absence, in case she fails to make a comeback this season.
Written by
Arundhoti Palit