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

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Congratulations to Katie Smith on winning the WNBA championship.

Link

Published Sunday, September 10, 2006
SHOCK 80, MONARCHS 75

Smith's 17 Leads Detroit to Title


By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
The Associated Press


DETROIT -- Katie Smith has won Olympic gold, an American Basketball League title and scored 5,000 points in the pros.

Entering this season, though, her Hall of Fame resume lacked one crucial element: a WNBA championship.

Check.

Smith scored 17 points and had two crucial baskets in the fourth quarter to seal the Detroit Shock's decisive Game 5 80-75 victory over the defending champion Sacramento Monarchs. It was Detroit's second WNBA title in the past four years.

Deanna Nolan was the finals MVP after a 24-point performance Saturday, but it was Smith who was getting all the attention after the game.

"This one is special," said Smith, who scored in double figures in four of the five games of the series. "When you are younger, you think you'll get chance after chance after chance, but now I know that's not how it works."

Smith hurled the ball high in the air as time expired Saturday, and the party was on at Joe Louis Arena and its announced crowd of more than 19,000 -the second-highest total in the history of the finals.

"Katie's a great, great player and she did just what we expected her to do," Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. "She could have easily been the MVP, too."

Shock owner William Davidson, who previously has won the NBA title as Pistons owner and the Stanley Cup as owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was presented with the WNBA trophy by league president Donna Orender.

Davidson said he told Laimbeer at the beginning of the season that one of his responsibilities as an owner was accepting trophies. He jokingly added that he was glad Laimbeer got the message.

The trophy presentation was reminiscent of the glory days of the Pistons with Laimbeer and assistant coach Rick Mahorn standing on the podium as champions.

It was at The Palace of Auburn Hills, however, that those Pistons and these Shock typically have played. But Saturday's game was held at the home of the Detroit Red Wings because of a scheduling conflict.

A Mariah Carey concert at The Palace forced the Shock and Monarchs to play 30 miles south in Detroit.

But the fans were plenty loud and helped Detroit continue the trend of the home team winning every deciding game in the 10year history of the WNBA finals.

After the Monarchs decisively won Game 3 at home, the feeling was that they would be able to take the series in Game 4, also at Arco Arena, where they rarely lose.

But Detroit roared back with a 20-point win Wednesday. Saturday's game was the only one of the series not decided by double digits.

Sacramento, for a half at least, looked like it would win two championships in a row. It held the lead for the entire second quarter and took a 44-36 halftime advantage thanks to Kara Lawson's running jumper with 1 second remaining.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

cstv.com

USA WOMEN STEAMROLL CHINA 119-72 IN WORLDS OPENER

Candace Parker nets the game's only double-double


Sept. 13, 2006

Quotes | Box Score
Barueri, Brazil - The 2006 USA Basketball Women's World Championship Team (1-0) had no problems in its first game of the FIBA World Championship as it dispatched China (0-1) 119-72 at the Jos? Corr?a Arena in Barueri, Brazil, Tuesday night. Led by Sue Bird's (Seattle Storm) 20 points, the USA spread the wealth around as every member of the team scored no less than four points each and five finished in double digits. The USA next faces Nigeria (0-1) on Sept. 13 at 6:45 p.m. (all times EDT).
The 119-point tally was not only the most scored by any team in the first day of tournament play here in Brazil, it eclipsed the former USA World Championship record of 109 scored by the 1983 USA squad that featured USA and Seattle Storm head coach Anne Donovan on the roster.
"I was really pleased about a lot of things tonight," said Donovan. "We saw the zone, we got to run our motion offense against the zone. We had a bunch of different people playing and everybody contributed. China is a great first game, it's a good team. I think we made them look poorly tonight by turning the ball over. Defensively that's been our focus so to force that many turnovers means we're doing something right."
"I think the best thing about USA Basketball is that at all times everyone's here for one thing and that's to win," said Bird. "I think that for Katie (Smith) and Cheryl (Ford) to get here today and do what they did on the court to help us out and fit right in is a true testament to that. Everybody just wants to win and do whatever they need to do. That's what you saw tonight." The USA, after missing its first five shots, found itself trailing 5-4 at 6:42. Ten seconds later, Candace Parker (Tennessee / Naperville, Ill.) hit a turn-around jumper to spur a 10-0 run and the United States never looked back. After forcing China into poor shot selection and turnovers, when the game was five minutes old the Americans were up 14-5.
Katie Smith (Detroit Shock), who arrived in Sao Paulo this morning in time for shoot-around, checked into the game in time to feed a pass to Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets) for a 3-pointer that gave the U.S. its first double-digit lead of the contest, 21-9, with 3:06 to go in the first quarter. China cut it to ten points twice, but the Americans scored the period's final six points for a 29-13 lead.

The United States put the game virtually away early in the second quarter. With the USA's lead standing at 31-20, Parker tipped in a bucket to kick-off another big run that left China in the dust, 48-23, with 5:51 to go before halftime. Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) scored seven and Parker put up six points during the 17-3 scoring spree that broke the game wide open.
By halftime the USA's lead was 62-34 and at the end of the third quarter the Americans remained well in control 96-56.
With 3:30 to play and the score standing at 108-65, Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx) hit an outside jumper as the Americans went up 110-67, officially setting a new USA World Championship record.
In addition to Bird's 20 points and six assists, Taurasi and Tina Thompson (Houston Comets) each scored 17 apiece, Parker notched 12 and Augustus chipped in 10 points. Parker also had 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Michelle Snow (Houston Comets) grabbed 10 boards to go with her eight points and three blocked shots.
China veterans Nan Chen and Lijie Miao each contributed 17 points, while Xiaoli Chen scored 10.
The United States not only dominated in scoring, it shot a sizzling 56.8 percent (46-81 FGs) from the field and 50.0 percent (10-20 3pt FGs) from beyond the arc, while its defense forced China into 29 turnovers and just 38.3 percent (23-60 FGs) shooting on the night.
After traveling to Brazil overnight Monday, Smith, who competed in all 11 of the USA's spring training games, arrived in time to participate in the team's morning shooting practice. However, Cheryl Ford (Detroit Shock) first stepped onto the court to warm up prior to tonight's game and finished with five points and two rebounds in 15 minutes of action.
"I have to say, in the perimeter, to have Katie Smith coming off our bench, I think all of the coaches are breathing huge sighs of relief," said Donovan. "Where we were good, we're great now in the perimeter. And Cheryl Ford, just her presence in the post, she's a banger. She left some bruises against China and that's exactly what we need her to do. Both came in and did a great job not having worked with the team."
Donovan is being assisted on the sidelines by 2006 WNBA Coach of the Year Mike Thibault of the Connecticut Sun and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of Duke University (N.C.) and Dawn Staley of Temple University (Pa.).
In other preliminary round action Spain (1-0) defeated South Korea (0-1) 87-57, France (1-0) edged the Czech Republic (0-1) 62-58, Brazil (1-0) relied on a put-back from Helen Luz with five seconds remaining to clip Argentina (0-1) 71-69, Russia (1-0) earned an 85-50 victory over Nigeria, Cuba (1-0) took a 75-70 win over Taiwan (0-1) and Canada (1-0) eked out a 65-64 win over Senegal (0-1). Lithuania (0-1), which is having travel difficulties, was unable to make it to the arena in time and thus Australia (1-0) was awarded a 2-0 victory.
All of the USA's World Championship games are being televised live on NBA TV, with FSN (Fox Sports Network) replaying the games each night at midnight (all times EDT). The USA continues preliminary round play against Nigeria on Sept. 13 at 6:45 p.m. and concludes preliminary round action against Russia on Sept. 14 at 4:30 p.m.
The top three finishing teams from each preliminary round group will advance to the second round, where the top three teams in Group C, the USA's preliminary pool, will compete Sept. 16-18 against the top three teams in Group D (times TBD). The advancing teams from Group A and Group B will play against each other in the second round.
Quarterfinals are scheduled for Sept. 20, with the semifinals played Sept. 21. On Sept. 22, the bronze medal will be contested at 10:00 a.m., with the gold medal game following at 1:00 p.m. Donovan is being assisted at the 2006 FIBA World Championship by 2006 WNBA Coach of the Year Mike Thibault of the Connecticut Sun and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of Duke University (N.C.) and Dawn Staley of Temple University (Pa.). Because of Donovan and Thibault's delayed arrival in Australia Staley served as head coach for the squad's first contest on April 7.

 

[RLC65]

Many ignore Katie's accomplishments

What a great career for Katie, to finish off the WBNA season with a ring! She is an extraordinary athlete, and a superb alumnae of tOSU.

It has bothered me much in recent years that many posting on the various Buckeye fan forums have snubbed or ignored those accomplishments. A surprising number have worded their comments to imply that male fans who follow or appreciate her WNBA accomplishments sound or might even be gay. What drivel!! That they have problems with their own masculinity is their own problem and bad enough. But to suggest that those who appreciate Katie's achievements, or those of Sharapova, Swoops, Sorenstam, Cat Osterman, Mia Hamm or others have orientation problems must mean we just don't have enough shrinks to go around.

As Ohio State fans we should revel in Katies kudos, just as we may Jessica D's in the future after school. It is great to be a great Buckeye in more than just male sports.

Go Bucks! :osu:

 

[NastyNatiBuck]

I played with her at the RPAC a couple times last year. She can set a vicious screen.

 

[Buckin' A]

I played with her in 5th and 6th grade basketball. She was the first girl to ever make the team.
We graduated together from Logan High School.

Oh, and her dad is still my dentist, and one hell of a nice guy.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

WNBA: Vet Smith a Detroit standout

At 32, ex-Lynx star Katie Smith has seen changes in women's basketball. "Now there's so much more."
By Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News


DETROIT - There is more to Katie Smith than her crisp passing and scoring touch. Much more. But to Detroit Shock fans, she is a fiery leader, a consummate professional whose energy influences her teammates to perform at high levels and prompts her coach, Bill Laimbeer, to sing her praises.

Cont...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

U.S. women's basketball
Smith aims for another gold medal

Saturday, September 22, 2007 6:41 AM



From staff and wire reports

JERRY S. MENDOZA Associated Press
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith will bring experience to a team undergoing a changing of the guard.


Former Ohio State All-American Katie Smith will try to help the U.S. women's basketball team qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games next week during the FIBA America's Championship in Valdivia, Chile.

The Americans must win the eight-team tournament to qualify for the Olympics. Play runs from Wednesday through Sept. 30 and the field includes Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Jamaica and Mexico.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Smith joined the team after concluding the WNBA season with the runner-up Detroit Shock. The other team members are Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Rebekkah Brunson, Swin Cash, Kara Lawson, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Courtney Paris, Candace Parker, Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi and Tina Thompson.

Continued....

 

[RLC65]

Katie was an integral cog in the Shock's run toward a second title in a row this year. They fell short, but for the most part Katie played more minutes for the season than any other Shock player. Her value at age 33 was in leadership, very good point guard play and excellent defense. One wishes she was 3-4 inches taller, as many front court opponents managed to shoot over her.

Most importantly, her shooting skills wobbled around this year. Sometimes, when she got hot, she was a huge contributor to the Shock success. But, compared with the past, her shooting accuracy was below what we, and she, were used to in earlier years.

She shows no signs of the knee injury from the last Olympics, and is amazingly quick for a 33 year old. If she ever snaps back into her old shooting form, she will regain all star status. I sure hope so.

Go Bucks!

 

[Buckskin86]

The Detroit Shock?s Very Own Buckeye


Given the fact that all of the sports buzz around Michigan this week is unfortunately not Shock centered, we thought we would conform, but still give you the unique Shock perspective on one of the greatest sports rivalries taking place this Saturday. Michigan - Ohio State.
For those who didn?t attend either school it?s always a great game attached to a fun day among other things. For those who did, the game has a whole other meaning, as is the case for the Detroit Shock?s own Katie Smith, a four-year letter winner for Ohio State woman?s basketball. Katie Smith bleeds scarlet and gray, and having to be tied to Michigan definitely makes for an interesting perspective. The Detroit Shock sat down with Katie to get a true Buckeye take on the rivalry.

Q: Growing up in Ohio, had the rivalry affected you even before you became a student at OSU? Does it automatically skew your impression of Michigan?

A: Not really. I grew up more of an Ohio University Bobcat, than a Buckeye. It wasn?t necessarily the case, like with many Buckeyes where life revolved around hating Michigan. It wasn?t necessarily bred into me as hatred toward the state of north. But Buckeyes can be brutal. It?s like thou shall not be named.

Q: How did you end up at Ohio State? Was it a dream to end up there?

A: No. They recruited me, I was interested in other schools outside of Ohio, but playing for your state school, being successful, being from Ohio, if you can have success you can write your ticket to any place. Once a Buckeye always a Buckeye, not only are you a Buckeye, but you?re a home grown one. A lot of things can go your way if you do it the right way and have success. Something that made an impact for me was just to stay at home and hopefully create something big. Also to have people be able to watch and enjoy, and for me to see their support. A lot of people have known me since I was a kid, so its fun, they have been watching me since I was in high school.

SHOCK: The Detroit Shock?s Very Own Buckeye

 

[Buckskin86]

Photo courtesy of the Detroit Shock

Katie Smith drives on a defender during a recent WNBA game. The Logan High School graduate and professional basketball standout will make her third appearance with the USA women?s Olympic team later this summer in Beijing, China.

Katie Smith set for another round with USA women's Olympic team
34-year-old 1992 Logan grad plans to keep playing

Craig Dunn
of The Logan Daily News

DETROIT - As long as she remains healthy and continues to enjoy playing the game, Katie Smith doesn't plan to let the 2008 Beijing Olympics be her basketball swan song.

The 1992 Logan High School graduate was officially named to her third USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team last weekend and will once again represent her country in international competition.

"I'm really excited about it," Smith said Tuesday morning via phone. "I'm really looking forward to another shot at it."

A veteran of international basketball, Smith seeks her third gold medal as a member of the USA women's national team travels to China this August.

Smith, the all-time leading scorer in the history of United States women's professional basketball, sustained a knee injury during the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece, and missed most of the tournament.

"I'm really hoping to make more of a contribution this time," she said.

She certainly continues to make a solid contribution to the WNBA's Detroit Shock, where she's averaging 11.7 points and 3.5 assists per game this season. Detroit is off to a 6-1 start including a 77-67 win over Seattle on Wednesday night in which Smith scored a season-high 33 points.

Denied:1up! Software

 

[Buckskin86]

Former Buckeye Katie Smith: On a big stage again
Katie Smith will be competing in her third Olympics, beginning next week in Beijing. Her storied career includes stops at Ohio State, the American Basketball League and now the WNBA's Detroit Shock.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
By Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Logan High School: 1988-92; 2,740 career points

USA basketball: 200, 2004 Olympics; 1998, 2002 World Championships

Ohio State Basketball: 1992-96; 2,578 points; Two-time All-American; All-time leading scorer at OSU

Columbus Quest: 1996-98; Two ABL titles; 1,433 points

WNBA: Minnesota Lynx (1999-2005), Detroit Shock (2005-present): 4,972 points; 2001 scoring title; 2006 championship

In an alternate universe without basketball, Katie Smith could have been the next Shirley Temple if a tap-dancing Shirley ever used an elbow to clear some room for a series of time steps.

"She was in dance in elementary school," Barb Smith, her mother, said recently. "She competed in tap. In fifth grade, we let her join the basketball team -- the Bobcats. Her little brother was on the team.

"By seventh grade, she was in AAU basketball. It just took off from there. Her father (John) and I never knew she was as goal oriented as she is. We didn't know she had this innate desire to be an Olympian."

Consider the sound of a metronome keeping time for the tiny dancer, let rhythm blend into the thump, thump, thump of a crossover dribble and you can watch the dream that began in Logan, Ohio, passed through Ohio State and two professional women's basketball leagues and reaches its zenith for a third time next month.

Katie Smith, 34, will be playing in her third Olympics next month as a guard for Team USA in Beijing. Smith already has two gold medals and the burning desire to add a third.

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Former Buckeye Katie Smith: On a big stage again

 

[Buckskin86]

Shock's Smith eyes Olympics gold for U.S. team
By LARRY LAGE ? ASSOCIATED PRESS ? July 27, 2008

DETROIT ? The wait is over.

For the first time, the U.S. women's basketball team will be on the court together Monday at Stanford University to start its quest to win an unprecedented fourth straight gold medal.

"We've been waiting for this day for a long time," two-time Olympian Katie Smith said. "We haven't been on the floor together yet, and we don't have a lot of time to prepare, but we have the talent to get the job done."

Shock's Smith eyes Olympics gold for U.S. team | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Monday, July 28, 2008
Shock's Smith heads off to camp

After loss, veteran guard will report for Olympic preparations with WNBA on break.
David Goricki / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- The Shock lost to San Antonio, 76-64, Sunday night at The Palace, their last game before the WNBA's monthlong break to give its players the chance to compete in the Olympics.

Veteran Shock guard Katie Smith, 34, will report to camp for USA Basketball today at Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. Team USA will compete in the FIBA Diamond tournament in Haining, China, Aug. 2-5, before moving on to Beijing for the Olympics.

Olympic play for women's basketball will begin Aug. 9 in Beijing.

Smith is ready to earn a second gold medal.

"I'm ready to go," she said. "There's a lot of pride playing for (Team) USA. It's bigger than a city or university. You're playing for your home and country. A lot of people have fought for our freedom, and that's why I take a lot of pride in being a U.S. citizen."

Shock's Smith heads off to camp

 

[Buckskin86]

US guard Katie Smith blogs on her Olympic experience
Associated Press

Updated: August 16, 2008

Hello from China!!! Well it has been a long time since I have written.....where does the time go:) I will start with the opening ceremony! Amazing and such a huge production. There is a lot that goes into the opening ceremonies. The whole USA delegation has the same outfit and we got ours pressed and delivered to our room and put it all on. We had a blazer and hats so when we were all assembled we looked like a very sharp looking group:)

ESPN - US guard Katie Smith blogs on her Olympic experience - Olympics

 

[BB73]

In the Olympic semis against Russia, the US was trailing in the third quarter. Katie played solid defense to force a miss, then hit a 3 to tie the game, then had a nice drive and assist to Leslie inside, then knocked the ball off the Russian dribbler out-of-bounds. This was in the part of the game that turned it from a 33-38 deficit to a 45-38 US lead.

Tha game's still going on, but it was a great stretch for Katie.

 

[Buckskin86]

Shock's Smith savors U.S. gold in basketball
Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News
BEIJING -- The first time Katie Smith won an Olympic gold medal, everything was a blur.

The second time Smith won a gold medal, she was injured and worried about her career.

But Saturday, the third time Smith won a gold medal, everything was perfect.

She was healthy, happy and intent on absorbing every moment of this special night in Beijing. The U.S. women's basketball team trounced Australia, 92-65, in a game that was never in doubt.

Smith didn't score and only had two assists while playing 16:53, but that was of no consequence.

She was part of a team, the best she says she's ever played for, that accomplished its mission.

"Oh man, what can I say? This was perfect in every way," an excited Smith, also a member of the Detroit Shock, said. "Just to come in to a game like this, and just be so locked in, so dominant from the get-go. You dream of something like that. We've been locked in this whole tournament.

"We had something to prove. We had a legacy to uphold. I can't think of a better way to do it. This is another dream come true. I've had three dreams come true."

Shock's Smith savors U.S. gold in basketball