NY Liberty Head Coach Katie Smith Hall of Fame
NEW YORK, NY – March 31, 2018 – New York Liberty head coach Katie Smith will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, it was announced by the organization on Saturday.
Smith will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the group’s enshrinement weekend on September 6-8, 2018 in Springfield, Mass.
Smith, who will be inducted in her first year of eligibility is joined in the class by Tina Thompson, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Grant Hill, Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, Lefty Driesell, Dino Radja, Charlie Scott, Rod Thorn, Ora Mae Washington and Rick Welts.
Smith is one of the most decorated players in the history of women’s basketball, retiring following the 2013 season as the all-time leading scorer in women’s professional basketball history with 7,885 points, and she ranked second all-time in the WNBA with 6,452 points.
In the WNBA, Smith was a two-time champion (2006, 2008), Finals MVP in 2008, and a seven-time All-Star, being voted as one of the top-15 players in WNBA history in 2011, and one of the 20 best and most influential players in 2016. Smith played her first two professional seasons with the Columbus Quest in the ABL, helping guide them to the only two championships in league history (1996, 1997).
Smith’s accomplishments reach far beyond the WNBA. At the international level, Smith won three Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. Women’s Basketball National Team (2000, 2004, 2008), to go along with a pair of World Championship gold medals (1998, 2002).
Collegiately, she starred at Ohio State University, helping guide the Buckeyes to the NCAA Championship game as a freshman, and going on to break the Big Ten all-time scoring record for both men and women. Ohio State retired her number in 2001, making her the first female athlete in school history to have her number retired.
Last month it was announced Smith will also be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame this summer in Knoxville, Tenn. That ceremony is slated for Saturday, June 9.
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