Name: Kelly Smith

Hometown: Hartland, Wisconsin

When you started playing: 8 years old

Favorite sports team: Green Bay Packers

Athlete idol/role model: Maya Moore

“Not only is she an amazing athlete and player, but when I first met her at a basketball camp that was christian athletes in college so I got to know her a little bit and heard her speak on how her religion got to affect her sport,” Smith said.

Court strengths: Quickness and Agility

“I’m one of the team’s bigger players,” Smith said. “When [compared to] other teams, I’m pretty undersized though, so when I go against the other person, I feel like I’m a little quicker, and I have a background of having guard skills which some larger players have trouble defending my quickness.”

Court weaknesses: Free throws

“My free throw percentage isn’t that great,” Smith said. “Sometimes I get a little to in my head and being in the post my skills shooting aren’t where they once were when I was a guard so that’s definitely my motivator right now.”

Favorite teammate: Renee Sladek

“We came in together as freshmen, we’re roommates where we share a bathroom in our apartment, we get along very well, we just have the same sense of humor and we both really love dogs,” Smith said.

Interesting fact: Wants to go into Veterinary Medicine

“I’m actually in the process of interviewing at schools and I applied in the summer,” Smith said. “I just think that’s a little different [career path] because I haven’t met or heard a lot of other [student athletes] who want to do that.”

Why you enjoy playing for NIU: Facilities and atmosphere.

“I think the [players] have the best opportunity here at NIU to be the best athletes we can possibly be,” Smith said. “There’s really no excuse to not be ready and to perform because of the great training program, weight room and many other [resources] for us to get better.”

Smith has been a focal point for the Huskie offense since she first got to DeKalb in 2014.

Her point total has never declined every year going from nine, 10.7, 10.7 and this year she is averaging 17.5 points per game.

The 6 foot 1 inch senior is also averaging 4.5 rebounds per game, four assists, two blocks and two steals.

The forward has had a game-winning shots while solidifying the starting lineup as a go-to scorer when the team needs a basket. Smith electrified the crowd with a game-winning turnaround jumper at the buzzer Nov. 18 to defeat Western Illinois.

Head coach Lisa Carlsen has stressed that Smith was going to have a breakout 2017-18 year for the Huskies.

“Kelly is great basketball player,” Carlsen said. “She can do so many things well and she brings size and toughness to our team who is considered a smaller team, so she definitely adds another dimension out there.”