By james art Under the leadership of longtime head coach Lynn Hersey, Smith College has become one of the top women’s basketball programs in the entire Division. III.
Smith reached new heights in 2023-24, advancing to the NCAA National Championship Game for the first time in program history. Continuing the program’s usual trajectory since Hersey took over in 2007, that leaves a national title as the logical next frontier for the Pioneers.
Smith heads into 2024-25 winners of 60 games in the last two campaigns combined, reaching the 30-win mark in both 2023-24 and 2022-23. That includes an incredible 20-1 mark in NEWMAC competition.
As the Pioneers prepare to continue building on history, learn more about the program and their outlook for the 2024-25 season.
Smith has steadily improved from season to season under Lynn Hersey
Smith College wasn’t exactly the perennial contender it became when Hersey took over as head coach in 2007. Getting to its current stature required consistent building, something the program has been extremely good at.
Starting with just a 5-18 mark in 2007-08, each of Hersey’s first six teams at Smith saw significant year-over-year improvement in overall wins and winning percentage, culminating in a 23-5 2012-13 campaign. The season was also Smith’s first of six NCAA Tournament appearances under Hersey.
The Pioneers have advanced to each of the last five straight NCAA Tournaments and in that streak advanced from the 2nd round, to a pair of Sweet 16s, to the national semifinals and last year’s appearance in the national championship game.
The 2024-25 Pioneers replace three 1,000-point career scorers
Among the catalysts for Smith’s recent deep runs into the postseason and NEWMAC championships have been the trio of Sofia Rosa, Jessie Ruffner and Ali Yamada. All three left the program with more than 1,000 career points, and Ruffner and Yamada are two of the Pioneers’ all-time leading scorers with 1,403 and 1,177 points at Smith.
The Pioneers head into 2024-25 with opportunities for new honors to similarly make their mark in program history. One well in her way is guard Hannah Martin.
Martin immediately made a splash in his freshman campaign, starting 26 games and logging 1,003 — third most of any Pioneer — while allowing 8.5 points per game. Her scoring production was tops among Smith returners. So were her 95 assists, which were second on the team in 2023-24.
The NEWMAC Rookie of the Year is reunited in the backcourt with Selam Maher, who scored in double figures five times in NEWMAC play, and senior Jane Lu, who scored 14 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Lue and Martin were also two of Smith’s top rebounders a season ago with 4.1 and 3.9 boards per game.
Smith takes on a tough schedule in 2024-25
With three games against other 2024 NCAA Tournament teams before the start of the NEWMAC tournament, Smith is preparing for another March game challenging himself. The Pioneers begin 2024-25 by hosting the Tyler Tip-Off, then cross the country for a weekend in California against Redlands and Pomona-Pitzer.
They return home on Nov. 20 to face UMass Dartmouth, the first of two consecutive opponents that reached last year’s postseason. Smith’s next match against Trinity College on December 1st. Rounding out the non-conference challenge is a Jan. 11 home game against Springfield College.
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