SG Katie Smith (All B1G, B1G Champion, OSU HOF, Asst. Coach Minnesota Lynx)

[Buckskin86]

The Buckeye Legend in Women's Sports: Katie Smith

 

[buckeyeinWV]

My favorite

alot of fun writing the story. Would love to meet her someday!

 

[Buckskin86]

BEYOND THE GAME: Katie Smith's A Busy Girl- ABC Columbus video 2 27 13

Originally published February 25, 2013
Storm's Katie Smith signs with New York Liberty
Katie Smith, 38, is latest Storm player who won't be returning.
By Jayda Evans
Seattle Times staff reporter

Katie Smith is in the twilight of her career, but the light hasn't gone out, yet.

A 14-year WNBA veteran, the Storm free agent signed a one-year deal with the New York Liberty on Monday. She'll reunite with her former coach Bill Laimbeer, whom she paired with on two WNBA championship teams with the relocated Detroit Shock.

Smith mentioned last year she wanted to end her career in Seattle with coach and general manager Brian Agler. They won two titles together in the defunct American Basketball League (ABL). But it became clear after the 2012 season Smith wouldn't return.

"I still feel like I can contribute to a team," Smith told The Seattle Times last fall. "I still feel like I'm an asset and that's what I want to be. Sure, I'm not your franchise (player). I'm not here carrying everything, but we (veterans) can be pieces that can help a team win games and win championships. And that's how I feel. I still feel like I have a lot to physically give a team... to (be) whatever pieces to help them win."

cont...

http://seattletimes.com/html/storm/2020433563_storm26.html

 

[Buckskin86]

WNBA: Former Buckeye Smith, 39, still climbing upward

Nears No.2 spot in career points
Smith?s WNBA stats
Games: 453
Points: 6,262
PPG: 13.8
FG%: 40.5%
3pt%: 37%
FT%: 83.8%

DUNCAN WILLIAMS | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Katie Smith, left, loves the challenge of playing defense, New York Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer said.
By Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH FRIDAY JUNE 14, 2013

The game calls Katie Smith with the same sweet song that stirred her as a child when she played basketball and honed her skills hour after hour after hour in Logan.

The aches in her knees might testify to the passage of 30 years, but the sound of the crowd and the bouncing ball make it all seem like only yesterday.
?I love the whole game,? said Smith, who turned 39 last week while wearing a New York Liberty uniform. ?I can?t stay in the gym all day like I did back when I was a kid. My body won?t let me. I?m not dropping 20 points anymore, but I enjoy the competition and doing whatever it takes to win, whether it?s setting a pick, playing defense or hitting a three.?

A two-time All-American guard at Ohio State and a three-time Olympic gold medalist, Smith is playing in her 17th professional season and 15th in the WNBA. She knows that she is at a crossroads of the kind that trumps pretending not to hear her mother calling her inside for dinner.

Smith tentatively will start for the Liberty tonight against the Connecticut Sun in Madison Square Garden. She needs one point to tie Lisa Leslie at 6,263 for second in league history behind Tina Thompson (7,042).

Catching Thompson, who plays for the Seattle Storm, won?t happen.
?I?m pretty sure this is my last year,? Smith said. ?I haven?t officially announced it. I hate the offseason and having to get into shape.?I?ve had a blast, but I?m probably at a time in my life when I need to do something different.?

cont...

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2013/06/14/smith-39-still-climbing-upward.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Katie Smith continues to put up points, moves into second on WNBA career scoring list

Published June 15, 2013

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. ? Katie Smith got a walking cane from her New York Liberty teammates last week as a birthday present. She's still many years away from needing it.

The oldest player in the WNBA, the 39-year-old veteran continues to put up solid numbers and help the Liberty win basketball games. She also reached a personal milestone, moving into second on the WNBA's career scoring list Friday night, passing Lisa Leslie.

"It's pretty cool. I tell most people those type of records are about consistency," Smith said. "That's what I'm proud of. You've done a good job and had a lot of productive years, not just a one-hit wonder."

She had 10 points in the Liberty's 78-68 victory over the Connecticut Sun and has 6,272 in her WNBA career ? nine more than Leslie. She's still nearly 800 points behind all-time leader Tina Thompson, who announced she plans to retire at the end of this season. If you throw in the nearly 1,400 points Smith scored in the ABL, she is the most prolific scorer in women's pro basketball history.

"It's a lot of pride that you've done good work for a long period of time," Smith said. "You've been consistently at the top or near the top. I still love this game, I love competing and playing. Glad I did it, but someone will get us someday."

After spending two years in the defunct ABL, Smith has played the past 15 seasons in the WNBA and is the only guard among the league's top five scorers. Lauren Jackson is fourth and Tamika Catchings fifth on the list.

"That's amazing," said teammate Cappie Pondexter, who led the Liberty with 20 points in the victory Friday. "She's second behind a great player and passed another great one. Those are historic names. Hopefully one day I can catch up and pass all of them."

Smith has said this will most likely be her final year playing professionally. She joined the Liberty this past season to help provide veteran leadership, but got thrust into a starting role last week when Essence Carson's season ended because of a torn ACL.

"She's an all-time professional," said Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer, who also coached Smith for five seasons with the Detroit Shock. "She's just been that hard-nosed player that takes care of her body. She's played so many years because of that. She's gone from prolific scorer to outstanding defender and team leader. I can't say enough about her."

cont...

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2013/...-second-on-wnba-career-scoring/#ixzz2WHtuCD8F

 

[Buckskin86]

June 19, 2013
A Star's Stealth Retirement
The Liberty's Katie Smith?The WNBA's No. 2 Scorer All-Time?Quietly Decides to Move On
By JEFF PEARLMAN

In the modern era of professional sports, there are bad ways to approach big announcements, awful ways to approach big announcements and downright horrific ways to approach big announcements.

Associated Press
New York Liberty guard Katie Smith

Alex Rodriguez beginning his Feb. 2, 2009 performance-enhancing drug mea culpa by saying he would share, "what I can remember": bad. Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens bawling over how much he loved quarterback Tony Romo in 2008: awful. LeBron James holding his own ESPN special to announce his plans to "take my talents to South Beach": downright horrific.

So what to make of Katie Smith, the New York Liberty guard in the midst of her 17th?and final?season of professional basketball?

As you read this, Smith is the WNBA's No. 2 all-time scorer, behind Tina Thompson. She is a three-time Olympian, a two-time WNBA champion and, in the words of ex-Washington Mystics general manager Angela Taylor, "one of the greatest basketball players the league has seen."

In other words, Smith's pending retirement is a big deal. There should be a news conference, along with an accompanying news release. There should be a video tribute, presents in each city, hugs and salutes and $1,000 Cheesecake Factory gift cards and trips to Vegas and a new Rolls Royce and?

"No," said Smith. "Not my style."

cont...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323300004578555810045942612.html

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muFywYbuAz8"]Katie Smith moves up the WNBA scoring ladder! - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Monday, July 8, 2013
Katie Smith learning coaching moves
Seattle Times reporter Jayda Evans has a weekly conversation with a newsmaker in the WNBA.
By Jayda Evans
Seattle Times staff reporter


Editor?s note: Seattle Times reporter Jayda Evans has a weekly conversation with a newsmaker in the WNBA. This week she speaks with New York guard Katie Smith, who signed a free-agent contract to rejoin former Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer in pursuit of another WNBA championship.

Seattle Times: You won two WNBA titles with Laimbeer in Detroit, so he?s a reason you signed with New York, right?

Katie Smith: It was a huge part. First of all, I?m excited about him being back not only for himself but for the league. He adds a lot from personality and a lot of competitiveness. It?s great for the league. On top of that, yes, I have a great relationship with Bill and am really excited to playing for him, again.

Q: You won two ABL titles with current Storm coach Brian Agler. Did that make the decision not to negotiate a contract to return to Seattle difficult?

Smith: I didn?t talk to Brian a whole lot during the offseason. I?m not real sure if I was part of their plans or not part of their plans. We talked a couple times when we were back in (our native) Ohio together. There were no issues or anything, just a smooth transition.

Q: I figured because at the 2012 exit interview you intimated you wouldn?t be back in a Storm uniform.

Smith: The last couple of years, I just didn?t know (my future). It?s never been, ?Hey, we?ve got you locked in.? There?s always a hesitancy because they?re figuring out what they want to do. For me, when Bill got back in the game, it was easy because he very much wanted me to be a part of it.

Q: Do you surprise yourself by continuing to play at age 39, especially since you don?t play year-round?

Smith: I keep telling people, ?Man, this is going to be it.? They won?t believe it until they see it. It feels good. Sometimes you?re like, ?Dang, I?ve been doing this a long time.? I?m thankful and appreciative of being able to compete still. I keep chasing around these 22-year-olds and 21-year-olds and am still able to hold my own.

cont...

http://seattletimes.com/html/storm/2021356438_wnbatalk09xml.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Katie Smith Receives WNBA Cares Community Assist Award Presented by State Farm

NEW YORK, July 11, 2013 ? Seven-time WNBA All-Star Katie Smith of the New York Liberty, and one of the league?s exemplary role models for young girls and women, was awarded the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by State Farm for her contributions and commitment to the community in June.

Smith?s passion to promote healthy and active lifestyles is demonstrated through her efforts both on and off the court. In partnership with The Garden of Dreams Foundation, the Madison Square Garden Company?s nonprofit that transforms dreams into reality for children facing obstacles, Smith and Liberty teammates have hosted several events throughout this season, including a Dads and Daughters Day and fitness clinic to teach basketball fundamentals and the value of exercise. In recognition of Smith?s efforts, the WNBA and State Farm are donating $5,000 to The Garden of Dreams Foundation on her behalf.

?It is vital to give back and find ways to get involved in community service,? said Smith. ?As professional athletes we are a part of our communities and have a responsibility to join others to strengthen them, including providing youth with the education and tools to lead healthy and active lifestyles.?

A 14-year veteran, Smith is the oldest player in the WNBA at 39, but possesses an unrivaled dedication to staying fit and on top of her game. The all-time leading scorer in women?s professional basketball is also currently pursuing a Master?s degree in dietetics at Ohio State University.

In addition to hosting a series of fitness and healthy living clinics this past May and June, Smith joined 30 local schoolchildren for a tour of the Brooklyn Children?s Museum to inspire educational discovery and social development.

The WNBA Community Assist Award presented by State Farm is awarded monthly during the season to the players that best reflects the WNBA?s passion to make a difference in the community. Please visit wnba.com/statefarmcommunityassist for more information on the award and its recipients.

http://www.wnba.com/features/community_assist_katie_smith_071113.html

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6AKSobwy-Q"]A media day chat with Katie Smith - NY Liberty G/F - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Katie Smith set to retire from WNBA
LHS grad is USA's all-time leading scorer in women's pro basketball

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Katie Smith
New York Liberty guard Katie Smith goes to the basket during a recent game against the Connecticut Sun. Smith, a Logan High School graduate, is planning to retire at the end of the season.


Posted: Saturday, August 31, 2013
By CRAIG DUNN Sports Editor [email protected]

LOGAN — Basketball has taken Katie Smith on numerous life-altering trips around the globe.

And now, the 1992 Logan High School graduate — Hocking County's most-famous and all-time greatest athlete — is ready to come home.

"I am officially going to retire," Smith said late this week from New York via a phone interview. "I'm ready. It's more of an unknown, and it's a little scary, but it's that next phase and (making the) transition that people do, whether its leaving college and entering the work force.

"Not totally knowing (where you're going) is a little scary," she added, "like 'this is all I've done,' and that slight unknown" of what lies ahead.

Now playing — and still playing well — for the New York Liberty, her fifth WNBA team, Smith's team is fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

But whether the Liberty's season ends Sept. 15 with a regular season game at Washington, or whether it ends with a league championship, it will be the last call for the 39-year-old Smith, the all-time leading scorer in the history of women's professional basketball in the United States.

And she's okay with admitting that it's time to move on.

"My body and my mind (are) good with it," Smith said. "It's time to move forward."

And as she moves forward with her life away from being an active player, Smith knows that she has literally lived a dream.

"I've been asked 'if you weren't doing this, what would you like to do for your dream job?' " Smith said. "I'm doing my dream job. Now it's time to find something else. This part of my life has been absolutely amazing, and now I'm looking forward to the next.

"I'm soaking up and savoring (everything) that has happened over the years," she added.

cont...

http://www.logandaily.com/news/kati...cle_e43af77e-f97b-53da-b7db-83d1afbb4da6.html

 

[muffler dragon]

Wow! Good luck Katie! Had a helluva career!

 

[Buckskin86]

Liberty's Katie Smith preparing for second career
Published: September 6, 2013
By MARCUS HENRY [email protected]

Photo credit: AP | Liberty guard Katie Smith shoots during the fourth quarter of a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun. (June 14, 2013)

Katie Smith always had a plan for her life after a stellar college basketball career at Ohio State.

Whether it was following through on her initial intention to become a dentist or her current aspiration to be a registered dietician, the 5-11 guard didn't want basketball to be the only option in life.

But her prowess on the basketball court prompted her to put off plans for dental school.

"Basketball just took off and kept going," said Smith, 39.

Smith has no regrets about her decision to stay with basketball and with good reason. She's garnered a lifetime's worth of individual and team honors.

A two-time WNBA champion with the Detroit Shock and three-time Olympic gold medalist, Smith is the all-time leading scorer in American women's professional basketball history, having scored 7,848 points in two years with the now-defunct ABL and 14-plus seasons in the WNBA.

The oldest player in the league, Smith is currently second on the WNBA's career scoring list with 6,415 points, trailing Seattle Storm forward Tina Thompson. As of Thompson's last game on Aug. 31, she has scored 7,433 points.

"It means I've been consistent for a long period of time and I've been able to do my part and compete at the highest level with anybody," Smith said. "That means a lot to me."

This will be the last run for Smith, who plans to retire at the end of the season. She'll miss playing but is ready for the second part of her life.

"I do want to coach, whether it's in the WNBA or college," Smith said. "I'm going to finish my graduate degree and become a registered dietician."

cont...

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baske...e-smith-preparing-for-second-career-1.6023255

 

[Buckskin86]

Commentary
Smith had well-deserved swagger
But throughout her career, she has often been overshadowed by other legends
Updated: September 12, 2013
By Heather Burns | ESPN.com

AP Photo/Jessica HillKatie Smith won two WNBA championships with Detroit, and was the 2008 Finals MVP.

We stood in a hallway just steps away from the Final Four court in Atlanta.

It was 1993, and as a freshman at Ohio State, Katie Smith had led the Buckeyes to the national championship game. It was my first interview with her, and I mentioned that I'd likely get to see her play in person a few more times in college.

Her response? Something along the lines of, "Lucky you."

And that was Smith's swagger. She knew that she was good. Really good. Twenty years later, the depths of Smith's talent have been realized in some ways. She is the all-time leading scorer in U.S. professional women's basketball and a seven-time WNBA All-Star. She also won four pro titles (two with the ABL's Columbus Quest and two with the WNBA's Detroit Shock) and helped Team USA to four gold medals.


TWO LEGENDS READY TO RETIRE
After 15 seasons in the WNBA, Katie Smith's career will come to a close Sunday as New York plays its regular-season finale. Tina Thompson, the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA's inaugural draft in 1997, heads to the playoffs with Seattle. Her 17-year career will end when the Storm's season ends.

But even with all of her accomplishments and accolades, it seems Smith has spent her career stuck in the shadow of other players and teams.

Few remember Smith scored 28 points in the 1993 title game against Texas Tech. That's because Sheryl Swoopes scored 47 in one of the greatest performances ever to lead her Lady Raiders to the NCAA title.

And then there was the American Basketball League. It started at the same time as the WNBA, as both leagues tried to capitalize on a surge in popularity for women's basketball following the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Smith chose the ABL over the WNBA, probably because it paid more and she could continue to play in Columbus. Her team won both ABL titles before the league folded in the middle of its third season, but those championships existed largely in a vacuum. Unlike the WNBA, the ABL got very little coverage and even less TV time.

cont...

http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/9664145/wnba-ever-confident-katie-smith-remains-underappreciated

 

[Buckskin86]

All-time leading scorer Katie Smith retiring exactly the way she wants
By Colin Becht

A sporting luminary will leave the game Sunday evening. The fanfare may be nominal, the attention outside of those who already follow will be scarce, but there are worse things than that.

In fact, that might be how Katie Smith would prefer it.

"I'm probably a little more under the radar than some," she says.

The all-time leading scorer in women's professional basketball history will call it quits after her New York Liberty finish up their season against the Washington Mystics on Sunday, ending her 17-year career. After winning two championships in the now-defunct American Basketball League, Smith has spent the rest of her career in the WNBA, playing the better part of seven seasons with the Minnesota Lynx before winning two titles with the Detroit Shock.

More than three months after 5-foot-11 guard announced her intention to retire, Smith is comfortable with the decision, even if she never seemed to go out of her way to make it well-known. Rather than a tearful press conference or even any sort of public announcement, Smith simply replied to an innocuous tweet from a friend, nonchalantly slipping in that she playing her last season.

"That's just kind of my personality," Smith says. "Press releases or big to-dos, that's just not really in my M.O."

Of course the online forum also made the announcement easier than having to say the words for the first time at a press conference.

"Part of it too, initially, is that you're a little nervous to say it because saying it makes it true," Smith says. "'Oh yeah, this is really happening.'"

Regardless of the low-key manner of the announcement, word still spread: The player with 7,872 career points, more than any other professional women's basketball player -- she's second in WNBA history with 6,439 points -- would finally be walking off from the court.

She's not going far though, at least if she has her way. Smith wants to coach now that her playing career is ending, a transition she has prepared for during her final seasons. In addition to sharing her veteran knowledge with her WNBA teammates, Smith has also spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant with her alma mater, Ohio State.

"As you get older, it's just not about you so much," Smith says. "It's always been about the game, and I'm looking forward to be able to try to impart and try to make another basketball player's journey better by something I can say to them or show them or teach them."

cont...

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mo...smith-wnba-final-game-retiring/#ixzz2f3aPLemk

The 39-year-old Smith had seven points and one 3-pointer in her final game. She finishes her career as the league's second all-time leading scorer with 6,446 points and its leading 3-point shooter with and 904 made 3s.

Smith left the game with 36 seconds left to a standing ovation from both the home crowd and a large contingent of New York fans, who chanted "Ka-tie, Ka-tie" in the game's final moments. Smith spent her 2010 season in Washington, the last time the Mystics qualified for the postseason.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...imper-mystics-article-1.1456815#ixzz2f3c5sJIS
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mo...smith-wnba-final-game-retiring/#ixzz2f3aPLemk

 

[Buckskin86]

Michael Arace commentary: Katie Smith lived the dream, is ready for next one
Wednesday September 25, 2013

• 
  Enlarge Image
  Julio Cortez | Associated Press
  Katie Smith hugs her father, John, during a ceremony honoring her before her final home game with the New York Liberty. She retired as the career scoring leader in women’s pro basketball.
  
  The New York Liberty paid tribute to Katie Smith on the occasion of the final home game of her WNBA career. This was two weeks ago, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
  
  A team official stood before the crowd and said, “It is absolutely my honor to be center court with Katie. I’m going to recite a couple of the hallmarks of her career…”
  
  Then she turned to Smith and said, “I’m sorry to have to publicly do this, but it’s my job.”
  
  Odd choice of words? Or, perfect?
  
  “I’m sorry to have to publicly do this, but it’s my job.” That is how Smith played her whole career, and became one of the most highly decorated athletes of her generation, male or female. That is how she barely caused a ripple in the national media when she tiptoed away earlier this month. Excuse me, thank you and have a nice day.
  
  “Nike threw a nice party for my family and friends,” Smith said yesterday. “It was enough. I don’t like to be, I don’t need to be, constantly acknowledged. I’ve done the job — hopefully, I did a good job — but it didn’t put my name in lights.”
  
  cont...

• 
  
  
  - See more at: http://www.971thefan.com/#!/stories/2013/09/25/smith-lived-the-dream-is-ready-for-next-one.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Katie Smith joins Liberty as assistant
Originally Published: November 19, 2013
By Mechelle Voepel | espnW.com

Smith Joins Liberty Coaching Staff

Katie Smith retired from playing in September, but she knows her mind could pull a few tricks on her next spring as she watches the New York Liberty prepare for the 2014 season.

"I don't have the itch to play now, but I might think, 'Maybe I can still do it,'" Smith said, chuckling. "In terms of just working out, staying in shape, my routine is still kind of the same. But the truth is, it's exciting to move on and now be able to jump in with both feet to something else."

Her new occupation is being an assistant coach for Bill Laimbeer with the Liberty. Smith will join the staff as another former WNBA standout, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, moves on to other pursuits.

Smith finished a 15-year stay in the WNBA with career averages of 13.4 points and 2.9 rebounds, and she was also one of the league's best and most versatile defenders. Smith has long been like a coach on the floor, having played until age 39. And she has worked in an administrative grad-assistant capacity for her alma mater, Ohio State.

“
I don't have the itch to play now, but I might think, 'Maybe I can still do it.' In terms of just working out, staying in shape, my routine is still kind of the same.

” -- Katie Smith

"But I can't say I've really coached; this is definitely my first real go at that," said Smith, who averaged 6.1 points and 1.9 rebounds this past season. "There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Of course, I've watched it and been aware of it. But to be the ones to hash it out, why we're doing stuff -- that will be a different dynamic for me.

"Film-watching, doing the scout and then presenting it in a way that people can understand it. And now I'll see the management side of the game, too: how to put the pieces together in running an organization."

cont...

http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/...-smith-joins-new-york-liberty-assistant-coach