Senior guard Nikki Smith embraces leadership role

On a young and relatively inexperienced IU women’s basketball team, senior guard Nikki Smith stands out in more ways than one. \nNot only is she the team’s leading returning scorer at 12 points per game, but she is also the lone senior. \nAs IU’s most experienced player, Smith is in a natural leadership position and is ready to embrace her new role.\n“I think I’ve really learned from watching the seniors in the past years,” she said. “I know that every practice could be my last. I don’t have another go around. I’m just trying to help out our freshmen as much as I can.”\nWith eight newcomers, including seven freshmen on this year’s team, Smith is the grizzled veteran. Playing for three different coaches over the course of her IU career, she has been through a lot, and she hopes the freshmen can lean on her experience. \n“I hope I can be someone who my teammates respect,” she said. “I’ve been through the drill before and I want the freshmen to be able to count on me for advice.”\nSmith knows how tough adjusting to the college game can be for a freshman. \n“I’ve always been the lone ranger in my class,” she said. “As a freshman, that made it really tough for me at times.”\nWith so many new faces, this year figures to be very different for Smith and the Hoosiers.\n“It’s so different so far,” she said. “Last year we only had seven players at times. This year we have so many different options and new people. Sometimes practices have been slow and deliberate, but it’s been really competitive.”\nWhile Smith has been busy adjusting to the new team, IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack has noticed a change in Smith’s demeanor on the court. \n“She is definitely a leader, and I think she is having fun with it,” Legette-Jack said. “She is just having a good time out there, and like most seniors, she is showing a real sense of urgency.”\nSmith said she hopes to continue to develop her individual game this season, but her past play on the court has already made an impression on her coaches.\n“She is a really hard-nosed player, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to win,” said Sharon Versyp, Smith’s former coach at IU and current Purdue coach. “She works very hard to be the best shooter she can be. She is just a great kid.” \nAfter the dedication Smith has shown the IU program, Legette-Jack said she hopes Smith is rewarded in her final season.\n“We really need to get her into the NCAA tournament,” Legette-Jack said. “She stuck around for three coaches and really stayed committed. I really want her to be a part of the big dance.”