Deanna Smith
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
24 December 1980 Bendigo, Victoria |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Listed height | 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1996–2015 |
| Position | Guard |
| Career history | |
| 1996 | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1997–1999 | AIS |
| 1999–2000 | Canberra Capitals |
| 2000–2004 | Adelaide Lightning |
| 2004–2005 | Manchester Mystics |
| 2005–2006 | Perth Lynx |
| 2006–2007 | CAB Madeira |
| 2008–2009 | Perth Lynx |
| 2009–2010 | Sydney Uni Flames |
| 2011–2012 | Bendigo Spirit |
| 2012–2015 | West Coast Waves |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Deanna Smith (born 24 December 1980) is an Australian former professional basketball player. She is best known for her time spent in the WNBL, but has also spent time in England, Portugal, Russia and Italy.
Career
Emerging with the AIS in the late 1990s, winning the 1999 WNBL championship alongside the likes of Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor, Smith came into her own at the Adelaide Lightning. It was in South Australia where Smith thrived under the added responsibility, producing impressive seasons before making the move west to join the Perth Lynx in 2005. Here, Smith joined the WNBL elite, posting career-high numbers (21.7 ppg) and earning selection to the Australian Opals.
She got her first taste of overseas basketball in 2004 with the Manchester Mystics in the British League before returning to Europe in 2006, joining Portuguese team CAB Madeira – winning the league title in her first season. Smith returned to the WNBL and the Lynx in 2008, earning her second All-Star Five honour before repeating the dose in the 2009–10 season at the Sydney Uni Flames. However, injuries began to tather her career in later years, as she was sidelined for the entire 2010–11 campaign. She had another impressive season at the Bendigo Spirit in 2011–12, but injury again ravaged Smith in 2012–13 with the West Coast Waves, restricting her to just six games after setting the competition alight, winning the MVP at the 2012 WNBL Pre-Season Tournament. Having managed only half-a-dozen games in 2012–13 due to a foot fracture, Smith made just three appearances in 2013–14 before suffering a cartilage tear in her knee.[1] She came back strong in 2014–15, averaging 11.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20 games for a dismal Waves team that won just four games during the season.
Smith has also played for multiple state league teams over her career. She won the Halls Medal for the best and fairest player in the Central ABL on two occasions; in 2003 and 2004 playing for South Adelaide.[2][3] She has also played in the State Basketball League for the Perry Lakes Hawks and Cockburn Cougars,[4] and in the SEABL for the Geelong Supercats.[5]
In November 2016, Smith was appointed head coach of the Perry Lakes Hawks women's team for the 2017 SBL season.[6]