By: Katie Goldhahn ('06), Buck/Cardinal Chronicle
When the alarm clock goes off at 7:00 a.m., senior women's basketball standout Brooke Smith knows it's only the start of a very long day.
A typical non-game day starts with weight training anywhere between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. for her and the rest of the Cardinal. From there, Brooke heads to the classroom for a few hours. As a Human Biology major, Smith has a lot to juggle with her class and laboratory load as well as her commitment to the team.
After a quick lunch, Smith is off to her second home on campus: Maples Pavilion. For a 3:45 practice time, Brooke and the team usually get to the gym about 45 minutes early to get prepared both mentally and physically. The team typically starts its session with film and does not finish until approximately 6:45 p.m.
After practice, the team heads to training table, dinner that is prepared for the women's basketball team as well as other teams in season. After returning home and doing a little schoolwork, Smith looks forward to a good night's sleep, knowing the same routine is waiting for her the next day.
These long days don't bother Smith. It's daily routines such as these that make the Stanford women's basketball team so successful.
And success is something that Brooke Smith knows. She was the 27th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career, and is now 15th on the all-time school list with 1,368 points. She also ranks among Stanford's all-time best in field goal percentage (second, 56.8%), points per game (sixth, 14.9) blocked shots (sixth, 119) and rebounds per game (sixth, 6.7).
Being one of four seniors on the team this year, she feels that the depth on this year's squad will be key as the post-season approaches.
"We have a lot of talent and a very deep team. Between good senior leadership and a talented freshmen class, we have high expectations for the season," Smith said. "We have people in the system that have been there for a long time and are very experienced. That mixed with new blood is a combination that has the potential to be very effective."
Thus far, Smith has had a tremendous career at Stanford. She was an All-Pac-10 selection as a sophomore and junior. Prior to The Farm, Smith spent her freshmen year at Duke. As a Bay Area (San Anselmo) native, she found herself homesick her first year, making the transition to NCAA Division I basketball difficult.
'When I had the opportunity to come to Stanford, I took it. It was the only school I'd even consider because I didn't want to sacrifice my education," Smith said.
In the future, Smith aspires to play both in the WNBA and overseas. But for the time being she's only focusing on her senior season on The Farm.
"Being a senior, you get a sense of urgency. I want to enjoy every day and the whole experience."
The Stanford women's basketball team had its fill of the Courtney Paris hype last March.
