Smith can’t wait to face Liberty mentor
Katie Smith, the Liberty’s new head coach, is eagerly anticipating a matchup between the Libs and Bill Laimbeer’s new team.
“It will be fun to see him on the other side,” Smith said on a conference call Monday. “I know he’ll want to beat me and I’ll want to beat him.”
Smith, 43, played 15 seasons in the WNBA, making the All-Star team nine times and winning two championships with the Detroit Shock under Laimbeer. She finished her career with the Liberty in 2013 and then was named as an assistant coach under Laimbeer, who the Associated Press has reported will become coach and general manager of a team in Las Vegas after it has been purchased and relocated from San Antonio.
Smith was promoted to associate coach in 2016 with the understanding she would be Laimbeer’s successor.
“He was grooming me to become head coach,” Smith said. “I’m really, really, really excited about this opportunity and I’m thankful to the organization.”
Liberty president Isiah Thomas said Smith was the perfect candidate for the job
“Katie’s leadership, dedication, and acumen make her the ideal coach to lead our team as we continue to strive towards the ultimate goal of bringing our fans and the city of New York a WNBA Championship,” Thomas said in a press release.
The Liberty boasted the third-best record in the league (22-12) in 2017 and have made three consecutive appearances in the playoffs. But they have not advanced to the finals since 2002. Smith plans to get them there.
“They need to work as a team and find easy ways to score,” Smith said. “There’s nothing major to change. Just a lot of little things and more discipline.”