The WNBA, as part of its 20th season, unveiled its 20 greatest and most influential players Tuesday. Among the names is former Ohio State star and current New York Liberty assistant coach Katie Smith.
The announcement was made today to honor the date of the league’s inaugural regular-season game played on June 21, 1997, when the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 67-57, at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California.
“The 20 women honored today are an extraordinarily accomplished group both on and off the basketball court,” said WNBA President Lisa Borders in a media release. “On the court, they represent the absolute best in women’s professional basketball and are in so many ways larger than life. Off the court, they represent their teams, hometowns and communities in which they live and work with the utmost professionalism. And most importantly, they represent the hopes and dreams of generations of young girls all over the world — the future of the WNBA.”
The WNBA Top 20@20 includes nine current players: Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi and Lindsay Whalen. Eleven former players are also among the honorees: Cynthia Cooper, Yolanda Griffith, Becky Hammon, Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Deanna Nolan, Ticha Penicheiro, Katie Smith, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Teresa Weatherspoon.
Smith, a former Silver Basketball winner at Ohio State, played for five clubs in her 14 years in the league. She was a two-time WNBA champion, a 2008 Finals MVP with the Detroit Shock, a two-time all-pro, and seven-time all-star.
She retired in 2013 before going into coaching in 2014.
