The Las Vegas Aces’ quest to repeat as WNBA champions won’t include NaLyssa Smith after the starting forward sustained a season-ending non-contact injury to her left leg.

Smith, averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds while leading the league with a 63.8 field-goal percentage, was hurt in Sunday’s 88-78 victory over the expansion Toronto Tempo.

Las Vegas (26-13) acquired Smith from the Dallas Wings in June 2025, and the second overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft helped lead the Aces to their third title in four seasons last year.

Smith has averaged 11.4 points and seven rebounds in 186 games with the Indiana Fever, Dallas and Las Vegas.

Aces forward NaLyssa Smith will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering a non-contact leg injury, the team announced.

The Aces did not disclose the exact injury or whether Smith will require surgery. pic.twitter.com/GzGXCV6ACH

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 27, 2026

The Aces are 1 ½ games behind the second-place Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA standings and lead the fourth-place Atlanta Dream by one-half game.

The Fever sit fifth in the league and trail Atlanta by one-half game.

The top four teams get home-court advantage in the opening round of the play-offs.