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Pac-12 Player of the Week honors go to Alanna Smith, Stanford

By David Yapkowitz

PALO ALTO, CA - JANUARY 04: Stanford Forward Alanna Smith (11) is defended by USC Forward Kayla Overbeck (1) during the women's basketball game between the USC Trojans and Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion on January 4, 2019 in Palo Alto, CA. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - JANUARY 04: Stanford Forward Alanna Smith (11) is defended by USC Forward Kayla Overbeck (1) during the women's basketball game between the USC Trojans and Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion on January 4, 2019 in Palo Alto, CA. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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More plaudits for Stanford’s main cog.

Stanford’s Alanna Smith (currently projected by High Post Hoops to be selected in the first round of the 2019 WNBA Draft) was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week for games played last week. It is the second time this season that Smith has taken home the weekly honors.

In the two games the Cardinal played last week, Smith averaged 22.5 points per game on 54.8 percent shooting from the field, 55.6 percent from the three-point line, and 10.0 rebounds. Both games were wins for Stanford.

The Cardinal defeated Arizona State, 72-65, with Smith putting up 25 points on 60 percent shooting, 33.3 percent from distance, a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line, six rebounds, and two assists. In the 78-48 win over Arizona, Smith had 20 points on 50 percent shooting, 66.7 percent from downtown, 14 rebounds, and seven blocked shots.

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Smith has been having a standout senior season in which she’s elevated herself into contention for being a top pick in April’s WNBA draft. She’s been the Cardinal’s leading scorer this season at 19.7 points per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field.

She can score in the paint, but has range out to three where she’s shooting 48.8 percent, good enough for fourth in the nation for three-point percentage.

Not only is Smith a talented scorer, however, she is one of the better defensive players in the conference. Her seven blocked shots against Arizona was a career-best and good enough for second-most in a single game in school history.

She’s leading the Pac-12 at 2.4 blocks per game, and her interior defense against the duo of Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox was a huge reason for Stanford’s upset win over Baylor last month.

Behind Smith, the Cardinal have gotten off to a 14-1 start, including 4-0 in conference play. It’s the Cardinal’s best start since the 2013-14 season when they started off 22-1. They’ll continue conference play on Friday at home against Washington.

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