For most new signings, media day gives them an opportunity to make an early impression, but for Alanna Smith, it didn’t go as well as she would have liked. The Dallas Wings finally welcomed Smith to their team last week after she navigated her immigration related formalities. Right away, Alanna didn’t hesitate to catch the headlines, pinpointing her disappointment with one specific aspect of her time at Dallas.
Speaking at the Wings media day on Monday (April 27), Smith revealed she expected to see more cowboy hats in Dallas as she reflected on the differences she notices while playing in the city as a Wings player compared to when she plays as an opponent.
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“When I visited, I didn’t get to see much of this place, but I had assumptions that it was like the wild west out here like all cowboy hats and cowboy boots,” Smith said. “So, I’ve been a maybe a little bit disappointed that it’s not like that. More cowboy hats. Where are they?”
Now, it’s well known in the country that the two things you most frequently associate with Dallas are its basketball and cowboy hats. The cowboy hats aren’t just a style statement in this part of the country; they’re a symbol that binds these native people to their Texas heritage. The affinity for such hats in Dallas is so strong that Garland, a part of the metro city, is often called the “cowboy hat capital of Texas.”
As a result, it isn’t wrong for Smith to expect more cowboy hats upon her arrival in Dallas. But as mentioned, the hats aren’t really part of their regular wardrobe; they wear them for special events, which kind of diminishes Smith’s expectations to see those in Dallas’ typical life. Now, having signed a long three-year deal with the Wings, it’s quite sure that Smith will get plenty of opportunities to grace such events in Dallas and might even don one.
The Wings themselves have a special tradition of welcoming their rookie players with cowboy hats. We saw it with Paige Bueckers last year when she was picked no.1 in the draft. And subsequently, the franchise did it again with Azzi Fudd, who posed for her first professional photoshoot with the team wearing a cowboy hat.
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But Smith, being one of the incoming senior pros on the team, unfortunately, doesn’t fit the tradition. Nevertheless, Alanna Smith is bonding quite well with the team, especially with players like Bueckers, during training sessions, despite missing a few days of camp due to immigration issues. These are pretty standard requirements for international players, who often need to make sure their visas and paperwork are squared away before they can play in the U.S.
According to reports, the 29-year-old returned to the United States on Friday. She headed straight for the training floor Saturday morning. Wings head coach Jose Fernandez heaped praise on Smith’s commendable commitment to the team after her return to the camp.
“She got back late last night, and she could have not gone today,” Fernandez said. “It was great because now she gets it off the glass, and for me, she starts the break. She can handle it. Now we can play fast, share it, get our wings in the deep corners, and occupy the slots.” But often, such anticipation and hype around a player comes with a chip on the shoulder, and it’s no different for Smith as well.
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Alanna Smith Admits to the Pressure Around Her Upon Joining Dallas Wings
Without a doubt, Smith is one of the Wings’ marquee signings in the free agency this season. Now, it might have gone under the radar a bit as most of the headlines focused towards their No.1 pick, Azzi Fudd. But with a player like Smith’s arrival, who is a seven-year veteran and one of the most standout defensive players of her generation, there’s little doubt that expectations and pressure will be high around her as well.
She reflected on this pressure during the Wings media day, remarking that she isn’t hastening things upon her arrival in Dallas. “I think there’s a little bit of pressure, but I’ve been in moments or teams before where maybe expectations have been different to what the outcomes have been,” Smith said. “So, I trust the process. And I think we have the right pieces to be successful, and I’m just excited to get going.”
If you look at the Wings forward’s career timeline, you’d get a perfect hang of what she’s trying to say. For instance, when she joined the Chicago Sky in 2023, the team was coming off a Championship run in 2021. And quite naturally, the Sky were looking to extend that winning run further. Similarly, her time with the Minnesota Lynx also came with championship expectations.
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The point here is that in her last few stints, Smith has been part of franchises that have been perennially successful over the past few years. The Dallas Wings are a contrast in this regard, as the team is coming off a 10-34 record from last season. As a result, it will immensely challenge Smith’s approach with the Wings during this stint.
On top of that, Alanna Smith is arriving with huge expectations, courtesy of her last season, where she won the Co-Defensive player of the year in 2025. The Wings are placing their trust in her to raise the team’s defensive ceiling, especially after their dismal outing last season, when they posted one of the worst defensive ratings (109.9).
Of course, she will receive assistance from Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd at times, but it’s quite certain that the Wings forward will have to shoulder most of the defensive work for the Wings in the season. Their first preseason game against the Indiana Fever on April 30 will provide a first glimpse of how it works out for the team. With the likes of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell in the opposition camp, Smith and the Wings will have the perfect opportunity to test their defensive schemes against the Fever.
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