Photo by Brian St. PierreThree-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Katie Smith Honored As
2008 USA Basketball Female Athlete Of The Year
-- Smith Eligible For 2008 U.S. Olympic Committee SportsWoman Of The Year Award --
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 29, 2008) -- Katie Smith, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and co-captain of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that captured the USA’s fourth consecutive gold medal, has been selected the 2008 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, USA Basketball today announced. As such, Smith will be nominated by USA Basketball for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Committee SportsWoman of the Year. The selection was made by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.
“This is a huge honor, it’s a surprise to me, but it’s very much appreciated,” said Smith. “There are so many bigger names, like Diana (Taurasi), Lisa (Leslie) winning her fourth gold, Tina (Thompson) putting up big numbers, it’s not that we’re not equal as players on the team, but in my career this kind of thing hasn’t happened a whole lot. I got what I wanted in a sense of being a part of those teams, winning gold medals and enjoying the overall experience. I love what I do and have enjoyed all my opportunities to represent USA Basketball. Obviously people saw that I cared, that I worked hard, and I appreciate that.
“What we always preach with USA Basketball is that it’s one team, one goal. It’s all about winning and doing whatever is needed, whether you play or don’t play, score or play defense. That’s what I tried to do throughout my USA Basketball days.
“This is a bonus and definitely a surprise, but very much appreciated. It’s neat to know that people do see what you do, the time you spend and the things you put into it. It’s not always about the flashy highlights, it’s the grunt work and a lot of us do that, from the players to the coaches and the staff. A lot of grunt work goes into what we do to be successful and it makes you feel good that people notice.”
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2008 USA Basketball Female Athlete Of The Year
-- Smith Eligible For 2008 U.S. Olympic Committee SportsWoman Of The Year Award --
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 29, 2008) -- Katie Smith, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and co-captain of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that captured the USA’s fourth consecutive gold medal, has been selected the 2008 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, USA Basketball today announced. As such, Smith will be nominated by USA Basketball for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Committee SportsWoman of the Year. The selection was made by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.
“This is a huge honor, it’s a surprise to me, but it’s very much appreciated,” said Smith. “There are so many bigger names, like Diana (Taurasi), Lisa (Leslie) winning her fourth gold, Tina (Thompson) putting up big numbers, it’s not that we’re not equal as players on the team, but in my career this kind of thing hasn’t happened a whole lot. I got what I wanted in a sense of being a part of those teams, winning gold medals and enjoying the overall experience. I love what I do and have enjoyed all my opportunities to represent USA Basketball. Obviously people saw that I cared, that I worked hard, and I appreciate that.
“What we always preach with USA Basketball is that it’s one team, one goal. It’s all about winning and doing whatever is needed, whether you play or don’t play, score or play defense. That’s what I tried to do throughout my USA Basketball days.
“This is a bonus and definitely a surprise, but very much appreciated. It’s neat to know that people do see what you do, the time you spend and the things you put into it. It’s not always about the flashy highlights, it’s the grunt work and a lot of us do that, from the players to the coaches and the staff. A lot of grunt work goes into what we do to be successful and it makes you feel good that people notice.”
Link to article
