Athlete of the Week

Maria Smear, SM '03 Women's basketball guard Hometown: Annapolis, Md. High school: St. Mary's Height: 5'11" Points Per Game: 12.1 3-point shooting, percent: 47.4 Major: Art (tentative) After Yale: Graphic design Favorite movie: Top Gun Also recruited for: Soccer

While scoring those 22 was sweet, the Annapolis native had a much bigger thrill when she led Yale with 18 points against the Naval Academy. In fact, Yale's shooter nearly became a Midshipman after high school, mainly because "Everyone, family and friends, wanted me to." But instead she chose Yale—"I didn't want to be miserable for four years."

Smear is causing major headaches for Yale's competition. When the season began, Yale's opponents played a zone defense in an effort to contain the Bulldogs' capable post players. This arrangement worked to Smear's advantage, as she was often left open to take—and make—perimeter shots. During the early stages of the season, "Teams didn't know who I was," she said. "I was just some freshman coming in off the bench." Opponents know now, and they've made changes to slow Smear down.

But these adjustments haven't stopped the hot shooting guard. "Teams have gone to a box-and-one to try to stop Maria," Coach Amy Backus said, "but she is still scoring in the double digits nearly every game." Not surprisingly, Backus is pleased with Smear's development. Although the first year coach "always knew Maria was a good shooter," she has been impressed by Smear's ability to score even in the face of defensive pressure. Furthermore, Smear's presence changes Yale's offensive attack. "Before Maria started playing as well as she is now, we would have five-or six-minute stretches when we wouldn't score any points," Helene Schutrumpf, BK '03, said. "Now, thanks to Maria's shooting, that just doesn't happen."

But Smear is not just a shooter. "Maria is really good at knowing when to shoot and when not to, and she oftens sets up a teammate," Backus said. Perhaps Smear gets her team ethic from playing on a very talented high school team. When asked if she was the best player on her high school team, Smear replied, "No, I was not. There were three girls on my team that received Division I scholarships." Then she added with a smile, "But I was the team's leading scorer."

Talking about the Yale women's basketball team also brings a smile to her face. "Not only do we have good young players now," Smear said, "but we also have great players who have decided to come here next year, and we should be really good down the road." Photo by Julia Tiernan.

Back to Sports...