#55 Nina Smith
6'4 Center
Waterloo, Ia
1999-01

Nina Smith will be forever remembered with a sad shake of the head.  Smith was named national high school player of the year by a number of sources and was generally considered the top recruit in the country in 1999.  But she could never really decided if she wanted to be a basketball player.  The result was a very uneven effort, especially off the court.  She was consistently out of shape and consistently unwilling to make a real commitment to the team.  When she played, she displayed excellent hands to go with a soft shooting touch.  She had tremendous footwork and some of the best post moves seen.  But she broke her foot her freshman season and missed the entire Big 10 campaign.  Her sophomore campaign was marked by equal measures frustration and potential.  Her wavering feelings culminated in her becoming the first player to transfer from a Jane Albright team.  She transferred to Iowa State, but gave up the sport and never played there.

Honors:
2001: Honorable mention All Big 10

High School:
1999:  Street and Smith pre-season first team all-American, number one rated recruit nationally by Street and Smith and Blue Star Index, Women's Basketball Coaches Association national prep player of the year,  Parade Magazine national prep player of the year, USA Today national player of the year, Miss Iowa basketball. 
1998:  first team Parade all-American         
1997:  fourth team Parade all-American
 

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