Katie Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Katie Smith

Smith speaking at a press conference in 2019
Ohio State Buckeyes
Assistant coach
Personal information
Born	(1974-06-04) June 4, 1974 (age 51) Logan, Ohio, U.S.
High school	Logan (Logan, Ohio)
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
College	Ohio State (1992–1996)
NBA Draft	1999 / Allocated
Selected by the Minnesota Lynx
Pro career	1999–2013
Coaching career	2014–present
League	Big Ten Conference
Career history
As player:
1996–1998	Columbus Quest
1999–2005	Minnesota Lynx
2001–2002	Lotos Gdynia
2006–2009	Detroit Shock
2009	Fenerbahçe Istanbul
2010	Washington Mystics
2011–2013	Seattle Storm
2013	New York Liberty
As coach:
2014–2017	New York Liberty (assistant)
2018–2019	New York Liberty
2020–2024	Minnesota Lynx (associate HC)
2024–present	Ohio State Buckeyes (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player: 2× ABL champion (1997, 1998) 2× WNBA champion (2006, 2008) WNBA Finals MVP (2008) 2× All-WNBA First Team (2001, 2003) 7× WNBA All-Star (2000–2003, 2005, 2006, 2009) WNBA scoring champion (2001) WNBA 10th Anniversary Team (2006) WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011) WNBA 20th Anniversary Team (2016) WNBA 25th Anniversary Team (2021) USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (2008) Second-team All-American – AP (1996) 2× All-American – USBWA (1994, 1996) 2× Kodak All-American (1993, 1996) Big Ten Player of the Year (1996) Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball (1996) 3× First-team All-Big Ten (1994–1996) USBWA Freshman of the Year (1993) Big Ten Freshman of the Year (1993) Gatorade National Player of the Year (1992) As assistant coach: WNBA Commissioner's Cup Champion (2024)
Medals Women's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Team competition Gold 2004 Athens Team competition Gold 2008 Beijing Team competition World Cup Gold 1998 Germany Team competition Gold 2002 China Team competition Bronze 2006 Brazil Team competition Universiade Silver 1995 Fukuoka Team competition Jones Cup Gold 1996 Team competition

Katie Smith, born on June 4, 1974, is a famous American basketball coach and a former player. She currently helps coach the Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team. Before that, she was the head coach for the New York Liberty.

As a professional basketball player, Katie Smith mostly played as a shooting guard. Sometimes, she also played as a small forward or point guard. She was once the top scorer in women's professional basketball. She scored over 7,000 points in her career across both the ABL and WNBA leagues. In 2016, she was chosen as one of the WNBA Top 20@20 players. Katie Smith was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

Katie Smith's Early Life

Katie Smith was born in Logan, Ohio, where she grew up. She started playing basketball when she was in fifth grade, even playing on a boys' team. When she was younger, she also took tap dance and ballet lessons.

Her family was full of athletes. Her father, John Jr., played football at Ohio University (OU). He earned three varsity letters in the 1960s. Katie's younger brother, Tom, also played football at Ohio University. He was also on their track and field team. Tom won a championship in the discus throw in 1996. Her older brother, John, was part of a University of Mount Union football team that won a national championship. He is now a head football coach at Bexley High School.

High School Basketball Career

At Logan High School, Katie Smith was named the national Gatorade National Player of the Year in her senior year. She led her team, the Lady Chieftains, to the state championship game in Ohio.

The WBCA named Smith a High School All-American. She played in the first-ever WBCA High School All-America Game in 1992. She scored fourteen points and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game.

College Basketball Journey

Katie Smith went to Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, from 1992 to 1996. In her first year, she helped the Buckeyes win a Big Ten championship. They also reached the NCAA title game that year.

During her time at Ohio State, Smith broke the Big Ten scoring record. She scored more points than any other male or female basketball player in the conference's history. As a senior, she won two Big Ten Player of the Year awards. These included the conference's own award and the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball.

Smith graduated in 1996 with a degree in zoology. On January 21, 2001, Ohio State honored her by retiring her jersey number. This made her the first female Buckeye athlete to have her number retired. She was also inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in October 2001.

Professional Basketball Career

ABL Achievements

Katie Smith played for the Columbus Quest in the ABL. She helped her team win both league championships during the ABL's two full seasons.

WNBA Highlights

In 2005, Katie Smith became the first American female basketball player to score 5,000 points in her professional career. On August 16, 2007, she became the first professional women's basketball player to reach 6,000 career points. This total included points from both her ABL and WNBA careers. By the end of her playing career in 2013, Katie had a total of 7,885 professional points. This included 1,433 points from the ABL and 6,452 from the WNBA.

From 1999 to 2005, Smith played for the Minnesota Lynx. Her excellent outside shooting was a key part of the Lynx's offense. In 2006, Smith became the first WNBA player to win All-Star games as a member of both the Eastern and Western Conference teams. That same year, she also became the only player to win both ABL and WNBA championship rings. This happened when the Detroit Shock won the WNBA title.

Smith was named the MVP of the 2008 WNBA Finals. Her team, the Detroit Shock, defeated the San Antonio Silver Stars 3–0. On September 11, 2011, Katie Smith became the third player to score 6,000 points in her WNBA career. In 2013, Smith joined the New York Liberty. She announced that the 2013 season would be her last as a player.

Playing in Europe

During the 2001–02 season, Katie Smith played for the Polish team Lotos Gdynia. They made it to the final of the EuroLeague Women tournament. In 2009, she played for the Turkish team Fenerbahçe Istanbul.

National Team Career

Katie Smith was chosen to join the US team for the 1993 U19 World Championship. The team won five games and lost two, finishing in seventh place. Smith was the second-highest scorer for the team, averaging 9.9 points per game.

Smith represented the US at the 1995 World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan. The team had a record of 5–1 and won the silver medal.

Smith was also part of the Jones Cup team for the US in 1996. She helped the team achieve a 9–0 record and win the gold medal. Smith averaged 6.8 points per game in this event.

As a member of the USAB women's senior national team, Smith helped the US win gold medals in three Olympic Games: 2000, 2004, and 2008. She also helped the team win gold medals in the 1998 and 2002 World Championships.

Smith joined the USA national team in 1998. The team traveled to Berlin, Germany, for the FIBA World Championships. The US team won a close opening game against Japan, then easily won their next six games. In the gold medal game, the US team won 71–65 against Russia. Smith averaged 9.3 points per game during this championship.

Coaching Career

Smith coaching the New York Liberty in 2016

After the New York Liberty's 2013 season ended, Katie Smith became one of the team's assistant coaches. She was promoted to associate head coach for the New York Liberty in 2016. In October 2017, she became the head coach. She coached the team during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. After that, she became the lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx.

Images for kids

• 

  Smith speaking at a press conference in 2019

• 

  Smith coaching the New York Liberty in 2016

See also

In Spanish: Katie Smith para niños