Roz Goldenberg

She was waived by the Indiana Fever.

And she was overseas playing ball.

Like, her career in the W was uncertain.

And if anything, a lot of people had closed that book on her.

You know, just closed the book and said, okay, she's done here.

So to think about where these two players were then...

And that now they're sharing one of the biggest awards for the league is incredible and also really speaks to Alana Smith and her resilience and her fight and tenacity.

And also, I think, can be inspirational.

Like, you might be the baddest player in the whole world, like Asia Wilson, and out here every single season in the conversation for some MVP awards and defensive player awards, but you also might be Alana Smith in this life where...

you have fallen out of the rotation or out of the league.

Look, she was a top pick out of Stanford University.

Go Card.

There were big expectations for her.

And things didn't pan out right away in the WNBA.

But then she found her way back to the Chicago sky.

And even then, it was like mixed results.

But she found the right fit and the right timing

with the Minnesota Lynx and perhaps the right coach to put her in situations where she could thrive in Cheryl Reeve.

And that really matters in this league.

If you look at this Lynx team, it's a whole bunch of players where, you know, Cheryl Reeve has really created a renaissance in their careers.