Katie Smith is a retired professional basketball player who played for 17 seasons in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is one of the all-time leading scorers in WNBA history, with 7,380 points. Smith was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning in 2000, 2004, and 2008.
High School
Smith was born in Logan, Ohio, in 1974. She attended Logan High School, where she was a four-year letterwinner in basketball, volleyball, and track. Smith was a two-time All-State selection in basketball and was named the Ohio Miss Basketball in 1992. She also led Logan to the state championship in 1992.
College
Smith attended The Ohio State University, where she played for the Buckeyes from 1992 to 1996. She was a four-year starter and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team three times. Smith led the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four seasons, including a trip to the Final Four in 1993. She was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year in 1996.
Professional
Smith was drafted by the Detroit Shock in the first round of the 1996 WNBA Draft. She played for the Shock for four seasons, winning the WNBA championship in 2006. Smith was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in 2000 and played for them for two seasons. She then played for the Seattle Storm for one season before returning to the Shock in 2003. Smith played for the Shock for another two seasons, winning another WNBA championship in 2008. She retired from the WNBA in 2013.
Swin Cash on Katie Smith
In a 2018 interview, Cash said that Smith is “one of my best friends in the world.” She said that Smith is “a great person, a great teammate, and a great competitor.”
Smith has also said that Cash is one of her closest friends. She said that Cash is “a great role model” and that she “has taught me so much about the game of basketball.”
Smith and Cash are both retired from professional basketball, but they are still close friends. They are both involved in basketball at the grassroots level, and they are both ambassadors for the WNBA.
Current Status
Smith is currently the lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx. She is also a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and is the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history. She is a legendary basketball player who has made a significant impact on the game.
Accomplishments
- WNBA champion (2006, 2008)
- WNBA Finals MVP (2008)
- 2x WNBA scoring champion (2001, 2005)
- 7x WNBA All-Star (2000–2003, 2005, 2006, 2009)
- WNBA 10th Anniversary Team (2006)
- WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011)
- WNBA 20th Anniversary Team (2016)
- WNBA 25th Anniversary Team (2021)
- Big Ten Player of the Year (1996)
- Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball (1996)
- Olympic gold medalist (2000, 2004, 2008)
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2018)
- Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2018)
