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Deanna Smith

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Deanna Smith
Smith with the West Coast Waves in 2014
Bendigo Spirit
PositionAssistant coach
LeagueWNBL
Personal information
Born (1980-12-24) 24 December 1980 (age 43)
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Listed height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Career information
Playing career1996–2016
PositionGuard
Coaching career2014–present
Career history
As player:
1996Melbourne Tigers
1997–1999AIS
1999Bendigo Braves
1999–2000Canberra Capitals
2000Warrnambool Mermaids
2000–2004Adelaide Lightning
2003–2004South Adelaide Panthers
2004–2005Manchester Mystics
2005Nunawading Spectres
2005–2006Perth Lynx
2006CAB Madeira
2006Ballarat Miners
2007Nunawading Spectres
2008–2009Perry Lakes Hawks
2008–2009Perth Lynx
2009–2010Sydney Uni Flames
2010Kilsyth Cobras
2011–2012Geelong Supercats
2011–2012Bendigo Spirit
2012–2015West Coast Waves
2014–2015Cockburn Cougars
2016Perry Lakes Hawks
As coach:
2014–2015Cockburn Cougars
2017–2021Perry Lakes Hawks
2022–presentBendigo Spirit (assistant)
2025–Bendigo Braves
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Deanna Smith (born 24 December 1980) is an Australian basketball coach and former player. She played the majority of her career in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), winning two WNBL championships and earning three WNBL All-Star Five honours. She also played wheelchair basketball in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL), becoming the first player to play in both the WNBL and WNWBL.

Early life

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Smith was born in Bendigo, Victoria.[1] She represented Country Victoria at U16 (1995) and U18 (1996 and 1997) Australian Junior Championships, winning in 1996 and 1997 and captaining in 1997. She was All Australian in 1995, 1996 and 1997.[2]

Professional career

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WNBL and Europe

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Smith debuted in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in 1996 with the Melbourne Tigers. She subsequently played the next three seasons with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), where she won the 1999 WNBL championship. For the 1999–2000 WNBL season, she joined the Canberra Capitals and helped the team win the championship.[3] Between 2000 and 2004, she played for the Adelaide Lightning.[3]

After a season with the Manchester Mystics in the British League, Smith joined the Perth Lynx for the 2005–06 WNBL season.[3] Following the WNBL season, she had a brief stint with Portuguese team CAB Madeira, helping them win the 2005–06 championship.[4]

Smith's next stint came in the 2008–09 WNBL season with the Lynx.[3] For the 2009–10 WNBL season, she joined the Sydney Uni Flames.[3] She was sidelined for the entire 2010–11 WNBL season before returning with the Bendigo Spirit in 2011–12.[3] She returned to Perth in 2012 and joined the West Coast Waves.[3] Having managed only half-a-dozen games in 2012–13 due to a foot fracture, Smith made just three appearances for the Waves in 2013–14 before suffering a cartilage tear in her knee. She returned to action in 2014–15.[5]

State Leagues

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Smith played many seasons in the Australian State Leagues. She played for the Bendigo Braves in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) in 1999 and the Warrnambool Mermaids in Big V in 2000.[6] She averaged 26 points per game with Warrnambool.[7]

In 2003 and 2004, Smith won back-to-back Central ABL best and fairest awards playing for the South Adelaide Panthers.[8][9]

Smith played in the SEABL for the Nunawading Spectres in 2005, Ballarat Miners in 2006, and again for Nunawading in 2007.[6]

In 2008 and 2009, Smith played for the Perry Lakes Hawks in the State Basketball League (SBL). In her first season, she helped the Hawks win the SBL championship behind her Grand Final MVP. She was also named SBL MVP in 2008 as well as SBL All-Star Five in 2008 and 2009. She was also SBL scoring champion both seasons.[10][11]

Smith returned to the SEABL and played for the Kilsyth Cobras in 2010 and the Geelong Supercats in 2011 and 2012.[6][12] She then returned to the SBL where she served as player-coach for the Cockburn Cougars in 2014 and 2015[13][14] before finishing with the Perry Lakes Hawks in 2016.[6][15]

Coaching career

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Smith with the Perry Lakes Hawks in 2017

In November 2016, Smith was appointed head coach of the Perry Lakes Hawks women's team for the 2017 SBL season.[16] Four months later, she announced her retirement from playing basketball.[17] The team won the opening eight games of the season[18] as Smith guided the Hawks to the minor premiership with a 20–2 record. They went on to reach the SBL Grand Final,[19] where they defeated the Mandurah Magic 59–48 to win the championship.[20] She parted ways with the Hawks in October 2021.[21]

In October 2022, Smith was appointed an assistant coach of the Bendigo Spirit ahead of the 2022–23 WNBL season.[22][23] She returned to the Spirit for a third season as assistant coach in 2024–25.[24]

Smith is set to serve as head coach of the Bendigo Braves women's team in the 2025 NBL1 South season.[24]

National team

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Smith represented Australia in 2002 at the South East Asian Games and was an Australian Opals squad member from 2005 to 2010.[2][25][26]

Wheelchair basketball

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Smith with the Be Active Western Stars in 2013

Smith played wheelchair basketball in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) with the Be Active Western Stars in 2013,[27] and the Red Dust Lady Heelers in 2017.[28] She became the first player to play in both the WNBL and WNWBL, with each WNWBL team being permitted to field a limited number of able-bodied 4.5-point players.[29][30]

Personal life

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Smith's husband, Stephen Black, is a former National Basketball League (NBL) player.[18] The couple have a son.[1][31]

References

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  1. ^ a b Bourke, Adam (18 November 2021). "Former NBL star appointed Bendigo Braves' coach". bendigoadvertiser.com.au. Retrieved 7 February 2024. Deanna Black, nee Smith, was born in Bendigo and played for the Bendigo Spirit and Bendigo Braves during an impressive professional career that included stints in Europe and international duties with the Australian Opals.
  2. ^ a b "Deanna Smith Profile". FIBA. 26 November 2008. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Deanna Smith". WNBL. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Deanna Smith". fpb.pt. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024.
  5. ^ Fit-again veteran Deanna Smith set to revitalise West Coast Waves
  6. ^ a b c d "Deanna Smith". australiabasket.com. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  7. ^ "2000 VBL & Big V". bigv.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  8. ^ Halls Medal
  9. ^ Nagy, Boti (8 December 2012). "Deanna Smith riding out injury with her Waves". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012.
  10. ^ "2008 SBL season". sbl.asn.au. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020.
  11. ^ "2009 SBL Award Winners". SBL.asn.au. 11 September 2009. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017.
  12. ^ DEANNA SMITH SIGNS WITH SUPERCATS WOMEN
  13. ^ "Doccy' finding her feet as a coach at Cockburn". SBL. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Deanna Smith". hawksbasketball.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024.
  15. ^ Deanna Smith signs with the Lady Hawks
  16. ^ DEANNA SMITH takes over as Head Coach of the Lady Hawks
  17. ^ Deanna (Doccy ) Smith officially retires as a player
  18. ^ a b 'Doccy' adjusting well to life as a coach after glittering career
  19. ^ "SMITH FOCUSES ON BUILDING CHAMPIONSHIP BELIEF IN HAWKS PLAYERS". SBL.asn.au. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  20. ^ "FARNWORTH INSPIRES PERRY LAKES TO SEVENTH WOMEN'S SBL CHAMPIONSHIP". SBL.asn.au. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  21. ^ "PERRY LAKES HAWKS THANK DEANNA BLACK". hawksbasketball.com.au. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  22. ^ Bendigo (26 October 2022). "BENDIGO COACHING STAFF CONFIRMED". wnbl.basketball/bendigo. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  23. ^ "Coaches". wnbl.basketball/bendigo. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  24. ^ a b "BRAVES: Deanna Black honoured to be coaching her hometown's women's team". Bendigo Advertiser. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  25. ^ "AUS - 2009 Opals squad named". fiba.basketball. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Deanna Smith". Basketball Australia. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015.
  27. ^ "From Waves To Wheels: Deanna Smith Joins The WNWBL". Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  28. ^ "Season Preview: Red Dust Lady Heelers". Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  29. ^ "WNBL STAR TO MAKE WNWBL DEBUT". Basketball Australia. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Classification". WNWBL. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023.
  31. ^ "DEANNA BLACK CELEBRATES HER FIRST MOTHER'S DAY AND SHARES HER THOUGHTS". hawksbasketball.com.au. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
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