Katie Smith
Katie Smith, former Ohio State women’s basketball player, Olympian and WNBA coach, will be the speaker at The Ohio State University’s autumn commencement.
Ms. Smith was a forward on Ohio State’s women’s basketball team from 1993-1996. She broke the Big Ten’s scoring record, for both men and women, and was named Big Ten Conference Player twice. The university retired her number, 30, after she graduated. She completed her bachelor’s in 2008 and also earned a master’s at Ohio State in 2014.
Ms. Smith spent 15 years playing in the WNBA. She was a seven-time All-Star, won two WNBA Championships and was named to the league’s W25, the top-25 players in its 25-year history. She is also a three-time Olympian, winning gold medals with the USA national team in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
After retiring from play, Ms. Smith coached the WNBA’s New York Liberty before joining the Minnesota Lynx’s coaching staff in 2020. She was named associate head coach in 2022. She has been inducted into both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Commencement speaker selection
Your help is needed to identify Commencement speakers who can inspire graduates, their families, our faculty, and other guests. The Office of Academic affairs explains the criteria and process for selecting a commencement speaker.
