It wasn’t always pretty, but Alanna Smith fought through a back injury and made a big difference down the stretch as the Minnesota Lynx evened the WNBA Finals by beating the New York Liberty.

The New York Liberty are hard to defense, and Smith’s versatility on the floor is key to Minnesota’s game plan.

Minnesota Lynx starting forward Alanna Smith said she is hopeful of being able to play in Friday's Game 4 of the WNBA Finals at Target Center despite back issues that limited her in Wednesday's Game 3.

Alanna Smith locks up two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart on a potentially game-winning play as Smith's Minnesota Lynx hold on for a two-point win over the New York Liberty, sending the series to game five.

Alanna Smith finish Game 3 on Wednesday due to a back ailment. But the Lynx big left no doubt Thursday that she has every intention to give it a go in Friday’s elimination game at Target

Two years ago, Smith wasn't even thinking about the WNBA. As she readies for Game 2, “It’s a nice little reminder that anything can happen."

Lynx center Alanna Smith suffered an injury scare in the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals against the Liberty.

A back injury is bothering the WNBA all-defensive team player, and the Lynx might need a deeper bench to compensate.