University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Brittney Smith
February 20, 2023 | Women's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Brittney Smith loves her hometown of Orlando. She grew up going to Disney World and other amusement parks, and then she went from a star high school basketball player to a great four-year career playing close to home at UCF. After coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson left to take over at Georgia, Smith left home to spend her final collegiate season playing for the Lady Bulldogs.
A 6-foot-3 forward, Smith was the American Athletic Conference's Sixth Player of the Year last season after averaging 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds a game. Through 28 games this season, starting each one, Smith is averaging 11.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. Along with Coach ABE and Smith, Diamond Battles and Alisha Lewis also came to Athens from UCF.
During a recent Quick Chat, Smith talked about her favorite spot at Disney World, how she got started in basketball, where she wants to be in 10 years, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:Â
Frierson: Growing up in Orlando, were you already sick of Disney by the time you were 10? Or is it a lifelong obsession?
Smith: It's kind of a lifelong obsessions, I guess. I'm also obsessed with everything else Orlando has to offer, like all the other amusement parks. I'm a really big Earth girl, like the beach is my thing, just being outside — Orlando is amazing.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite Disney thing: a ride, a character, a movie?
Smith: Every time I go to Disney, I have to go to Animal Kingdom first, and I have to ride the Avatar ride. I love the whole Avatar area at Disney, it's so cool. It's so cool.
Growing up there, it was really nice. I didn't realize how, I guess in a way, privileged people are in Orlando, growing up with amusement parks. Honestly, until the last couple of years of my life, I had no clue that everybody else didn't grow up the same way I grew up, going to so many fun attractions and stuff.
It's kind of interesting knowing that I grew up in one of the most popular vacation spots. It makes me love it even more.
Frierson: Did you play a bunch of different sports when you were younger, or was it all basketball?
Smith: Basketball has always been my main sport. I didn't really grow up playing sports, but once my stepdad came into my life, he introduced me to basketball. I ended up doing high jump in track, and I did a little bit of volleyball, but basketball has always been my main thing.
Frierson: How were you at the high jump?
Smith: In high school, my basketball coach was also the head track coach, so he would beg everybody on my team to do track. I finally was like, "I'll do track, but I'm not running." I refused to run; I ran enough in basketball. He said I could do the long jump, triple jump or high jump, and I kind of have weak shins so I was like, OK, I'll do the high jump.
I actually was really good at it. I won districts and stuff, almost made it to states. It was so much fun, and it was a good way to stay tan. Because I love being tan [laughs]. At practice, sometimes I would just lay out on the mat and tan, and then get to jumping. It was so much fun.
Frierson: The tan part of that hit me out of nowhere. I did not see that coming at all.
Smith: [Laughs] That was my tanning time.
Frierson: You have players on this team that you've known for years, from UCF, and you have a bunch of teammates that you've only gotten to know since you transferred. Have you enjoyed that dynamic?
Smith: Obviously I'm very close with the girls from UCF, so coming here, that was kind of my ground point, my stable point, I always have those girls. Making new friends and getting to know people can be a little intimidating or scary, but getting to know these girls, I feel like I've known them for a lifetime.
I feel like a lot of us just clicked immediately and got so close. I'm not saying I'm not super close with the UCF girls anymore, but I feel like we all clicked and immediately all feel like we've known each other for so long. It's just like, these are my girls.
Frierson: In a perfect world, what are you doing in 10 years?
Smith: In 10 years I will be 33, and hopefully I will have my own home. I love designing my bedroom and my dorms, I'm really big on decorating, so I can't wait to have an actual house so I can decorate it. Hopefully I'll still have my cat, his name's Vinny, and hopefully I'll have a dog by then — I want a Dalmatian.
I'm interested in medicine, I'm not sure which route I'll go, but hopefully I'll be a neonatal nurse. That would be really cool. In my own home, with my cat and my dog.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
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Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
