LAS VEGAS -- Since NaLyssa Smith arrived in Las Vegas via trade with the Dallas Wings, reigning MVP A'ja Wilson has referred to her newest teammate as "twin."
It's an affectionate term often used around the WNBA, but on Friday, it held a little deeper meaning.
The two share the same birthday, Aug. 8, as Smith turned 25 and Wilson turned 29.
So when Smith showed up for shootaround hours before the Aces were set to host the Seattle Storm, a Louis Vuitton gift bag was waiting for her.
Wilson wanted to give her "twin" something special, knowing her sense of style is often punctuated by a golden yellow Louis Vuitton clutch, as seen in many of her tunnel walks.
Birthday girl NaLyssa Smith was all smiles after shootaround. She and A'ja Wilson share the same birthday, and the reigning MVP had a Louis Vuitton gift bag for her newest teammate.
— WillieGRamireZ (@WillieGRamirez) August 8, 2025
"I wouldn't want to share a birthday with anybody else because she's a great person," Smith said.
The bond they've formed in such a short time has meant more to Smith than Wilson may know.
"I think A'ja has been a big influence to me, even before I even got to the Aces," Smith said. "I always watched her game. I always loved her game. Just because she's been a four, I've been a four my whole career, so just watching how she moves, how easy she makes you look, I think she has been a big influence for me.
"She's always coming up to me telling me little ways like I could score the ball easier, little ways to defend better."
The feeling was mutual early on, as Wilson was equally complimentary of her newest teammate who has helped the Aces come into Friday's game on a 7-3 winning streak.
"When you’re able to share and people are receiving it well, you can continue to pour into them," Wilson said last month. "And I hope that we continue to do that for her and let her know how valuable she is to this team."
But to find out the two share the same birthday, Smith couldn't help but smile.
"I think that's insane actually," Smith said. "It's actually really crazy, but I wouldn't want to share a birthday with anybody else because she's a great person."
Smith said her initial thoughts of joining the Aces have been proven right, with hopes of becoming a better player - and person - exceeding her expectations.
In 18 games with the Wings, Smith averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.
In her 14 games with the Aces, Smith is averaging 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.
They're slight upticks, sure, but it's more about her presence in the paint and doing what coach Becky Hammon always describes as the invaluable little things.
Smith credited just about everyone except Buckets the mascot in making her transition seamless, even mentioning Las Vegas' infectious fanbase.
"It wasn't a hard transition for me, just because I had so much help from watching film with the coaches," she said. "To the first day I got there, they were drawing up plays for me in the room, going to Chelsea (Gray) and she's drawing up plays for me.
"So I feel like it wasn't even a hard transition for me, which I'm very grateful for, because I know getting traded could be super hard. I just feel the love here. And I feel with all the programs I've been a part of, this has been the biggest culture I've been a part of. The fans are huge for me. The day it happened, they were the nicest, sweetest people to me. So I feel they're like a big push for me, too."
As if she needed any more reason to smile Friday night, she will have a built-in personal fanbase in attendance, a group led by her parents, Nikki and Rodney, who have never been to Las Vegas, along with her brother, Rodney Jr.
"It's gonna be a big night for me, I'm excited," Smith said.