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on November 11, 2024 at 11:05 am @dan_hope
Vincent Carchietta – Imagn Images
An Ohio State women’s
basketball legend is returning to the Buckeyes as an assistant coach.
Ohio State announced Monday that Katie Smith, one
of the greatest players in program history, is joining Kevin McGuff’s staff as
an assistant coach after more than a decade of coaching in the WNBA.
Another
Ohio State great is also rejoining the program as Jacy Sheldon, who just
completed her rookie season with the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, has been hired as the
Buckeyes’ director of player development.
“I'm
extremely excited to add both Jacy and Katie to the staff,” McGuff
said in a statement. “As former Buckeyes they both possess a passion for this
program that will be instrumental in helping us continue to compete at the
highest level of women's college basketball. Together they will have a big
presence in the community as we proceed with growing our already
incredible fan base.”
Smith had an illustrious career for the Buckeyes
from 1992-96. She started her career by leading Ohio State to a Big Ten
championship and the NCAA championship game as a freshman, earning All-American
honors in the process. She earned All-Big Ten honors in each of her final three
seasons with the Buckeyes, earning All-American honors again in 1996 while also
earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors.
She scored 2,578 points as a Buckeye, finishing
her career as the program’s all-time leading scorer. At the time of graduation,
Smith was also Ohio State’s all-time leader in made three-pointers (218),
three-point percentage (.387), made free throws (708) and free throw
percentage (.838), among other records.
Smith became the first player in Ohio State
women’s basketball history to have her number retired when her No. 30 was
raised to the rafters of the Schottenstein Center in 2001.
Following her career with the Buckeyes, Smith went
on to play professionally for 18 seasons. She won two WNBA championships and
was a seven-time WNBA All-Star while she also helped lead the U.S. Olympic team
to gold medals in 2000, 2004 and 2008. She was inducted into the Basketball
Hall of Fame for her accomplishments as a player in 2018.
After
playing her final WNBA season with the New York Liberty in 2013, Smith became
an assistant coach for the Liberty from 2014-17, then became their head coach
for two seasons. She’s been the associate head coach of the Minnesota Lynx
since 2020, helping lead the team to a WNBA Finals appearance this past season.
Now, the
Logan, Ohio native is returning to her roots to join the coaching staff at her
alma mater, where she joins a staff of assistant coaches that also includes
Carla Morrow, Jalen Powell and Ryan Murray. Smith fills the spot vacated
on the coaching staff by Wesley Brooks, who left the Buckeyes in April to
become the head coach at Utah State.
"I'm
both excited and grateful to return to my alma mater, Ohio State, and to the
city my family and I proudly call home," Smith said in a statement.
"Ohio State and its women's basketball program played such a pivotal role
in my journey and I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to the
program that helped shape me. I look forward to joining Coach McGuff and the
entire staff in guiding and supporting these talented young women as they chase
their dreams. Together, we're committed to building on Ohio State's proud
legacy and taking our program to championship levels in a fiercely competitive
Big Ten. I can't wait to see and connect with the Buckeye community – around
town and at our games. Go Bucks!"
A two-time
first-team All-Big Ten honoree at Oho State, Sheldon completed her Ohio State
career last season by leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship and
earning second-team All-American honors. In her new role as director of player
development, Sheldon will work alongside the coaching staff to develop
individualized player development plans for each player on and off the court
and serve as a mentor to the Buckeyes’ players.
"I'm so
excited to have the opportunity to contribute to a program that did so much for
me as a player and a person," Sheldon said in a statement. "As
someone who has so much love and respect for this university and this program,
I'm grateful to be around this program beyond my playing years."
The No. 5
overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Sheldon will continue to play in the WNBA
while working for the Buckeyes. In her rookie season with the Wings, Sheldon
averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 40 games.
Smith and
Sheldon will participate in their first game as members of McGuff’s staff
on Tuesday as the Buckeyes host Charlotte in their second game of the season at
the Schottenstein Center (6 p.m., B1G+). Ohio State, which moved up to No. 12
in the AP Top 25 on Monday, is 1-0 this season after earning a 104-69 win over
Cleveland State in its season opener last Tuesday.
