All things considered, Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith and forward/center Queen Egbo made WNBA history in the Fever’s win over the New York Liberty. The former Baylor Lady Bears are the only pair of rookies in league history to have 14+ rebounds in the same game on the same team.
Smith had 12 points and 17 boards, while Egbo had eight points and 14 boards in the game. It’s important to note that seven of Smith’s 17 boards were on the offensive glass.
Smith, the second overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, averaged over eight rebounds a game while at Baylor. What’s more, she was third in the nation with 403 rebounds in her senior season for the Lady Bears. Overall, Smith had 1,098 rebounds in her four years at Baylor.
31 rebounds. 2 rookies. @NaLyssaSmith 17 REB | 12 PTS | 1 AST | 1 STL@QueenEgbo_ 14 REB | 8 PTS | 4 AST | 2 BLK
— Indiana Fever ⛹️♀️🏀 (@IndianaFever) May 14, 2022
The first time in @WNBA history where two rookies on the same team each had 14+ rebounds in the same game. pic.twitter.com/ZpQsGnWpKa
Egbo, the 10th overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, averaged seven boards a game at Baylor. In total, she had 295 boards last season and 904 in her career with Baylor.
Indiana Fever Building Around Smith and Egbo
Source: Indiana Fever/WNBA
Fever general manager Lin Dunn used the first of their four first-round picks on the 6’2 Smith. In this case, Smith was drafted because of her athleticism, dominance on the glass, and defensive awareness. If she continues to make strides in her offensive game, she has a legitimate opportunity to be a superstar in this league.
.@NaLyssaSmith with the floater in transition👏 pic.twitter.com/CGhEkSHq46
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 14, 2022
While Dunn drafting Egbo with the last of Indiana’s four first-round picks was a surprise to some, Dunn was looking to shore up their frontcourt. The defense is there for Egbo, but there were some doubts regarding her offensive game. However, if she can show moving forward progress offensively, the pick will pay dividends.
In closing, the history made by both players in their fourth game in the WNBA should never be ignored. With this in mind, Fever fans are looking for more outstanding games by these teammates in their careers.
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