Under the direction of longtime head coach Lynn Hersey, Smith College has grown into one of the premier women’s basketball programs in all of Div. 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 regular trajectory since Hersey took over in 2007, that leaves a national title as the Pioneers’ logical next frontier.

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Smith heads into the 2024-25 season winners of 60 games in the last two campaigns combined, reaching the 30-win threshold 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, get to know more about the program and their 2024-25 season forecast. 

Smith Has Regularly Improved Season-to-Season Under Lynn Hersey 

Smith College wasn't exactly the perennial contender it's become when Hersey took over as head coach in 2007. Reaching its current stature required consistent building, something the program's been exceedingly good at. 

Starting from just a 5-18 mark in 2007-08, each of Hersey's first six teams at Smith saw significant year-to-year improvement in total wins and winning percentage, culmating in a 23-5 2012-13 campaign. That season was also the first of Smith's six NCAA Tournament appearances under Hersey's direction. 

The Pioneers have qualified for each of the last five straight NCAA Tournaments, and in that run progressed 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 of Smith's recent deep runs in the postseason and NEWMAC championships were the trio of Sofia Rosa, Jessie Ruffner and Ally Yamada. All three exited theprogram with 1,000-plus career points, and Ruffner and Yamada are two of the highest-scoring Pioneers of all-time with 1,403 and 1,177 points at Smith. 

The Pioneers head into 2024-25 with opportunities for new standouts to similarly make their mark on program history. One well on her way is guard Hannah Martin. 

Martin made an immediate splash in her freshman campaign, starting 26 games and logging 1,003 — third-most of any Pioneer — while putting up 8.5 points per game. Her scoring output was tops among Smith returners. So were her 95 assists, which were second overall on the team in 2023-24. 

The NEWMAC Rookie of the Year reunites in the backcourt with Selam Maher, who scored in double-figures five times in NEWMAC play, and senior Jane Loo, who scored 14 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh. 

Loo 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 matchups against fellow 2024 NCAA Tournament teams before NEWMAC competition begins, Smith is prepping for another March run by challenging itself. The Pioneers open 2024-25 hosting the Tyler Tip-Off, then cross the country for a weekend set in California against Redlands and Pomona-Pitzer. 

They return home on Nov. 20 to meet UMass Dartmouth, the first of two consecutive opponents that reached last year's postseason. The next pits Smith against Trinity College on the road on Dec. 1. Rounding out a challenging non-conference slate is a Jan. 11 home date against Springfield College. 

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