Smart kept somewhat sharp by playing in a recreation league in Milwaukee. She resumed more competitive play this summer with a semi-pro team from Beloit, Wis., but neither experience compared to the two seasons (2007-09) she spent as a professional basketball player in Belgium.
That’s why she’s excited about her newest opportunity. Smart has signed with a professional team in Sweden, the Kvarnby Basketball Club in Molndal, Sweden. Her contract runs from Sept. 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011.
“A couple of my friends have played (in Sweden), and it’s a higher level than in Belgium,” Smart said. “This is their first year in division one, and I’m going to be the go-to player and carry the team. I haven’t met the players. I’m unsure about what will happen, but I know they take care of their players and it’s an organized club.”
Smart, the all-time leading scorer in Ohio women’s college basketball history with 3,236 points, averaged 22.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in 2008-09 with the Point Chaud Sprimont Basketball Club in Belgium.
For the last year, Smart has lived in Milwaukee, coaching junior varsity basketball. She has also worked as a personal trainer at Bally’s Total Fitness. Meanwhile, she stayed in shape, wondering if another opportunity would arise.
“I still had a passion for basketball,” she said. “I needed to be prepared no matter what. ... I thought, ‘I’m going to keep training hard even if I don’t do anything. That way I’ll be ready.’ Now I’m confident. I don’t feel I’m out of the loop.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or djablonski@coxohio.com.
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