Injury worries can wait, Alanna Smith is living in the present and on the cusp of a WNBA championship.
Right now, all her focus and energy is on winning a deciding Game 5 with Minnesota Lynx in what’s been an absorbing finals series against New York Liberty.
The forward suffered a muscular back injury in Game 3 on Thursday but pushed through some serious pain in Game 4 on Saturday to give her team a crack at the title.
In 30 minutes of court time, Smith compiled 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals, two assists, two blocks, and produced some huge moments at both ends of the floor down the stretch in a contest the Lynx won 82-80.
Smith’s lower back is still so tender Lynx medical officials are yet to treat it directly.
Instead, they’ve been working overtime with a combination of medication, applying contrasting ice and heat plus STEM pulse treatment to get her through the final two games and a flight from Minnesota to New York.
“It’s not every day you’re in New York for Game 5 of the finals and a crack at the championship so you just have to push through,” Smith told ESPN on Sunday.
“Any disc damage has been ruled out, which is best case scenario for me. I landed really hard on the joint and then the muscles as well. It just hurts all the time…
