Georgia women’s basketball will be without senior forward Zoesha Smith for the foreseeable future, as she suffered a knee injury in the Bulldogs’ Jan. 9 loss to Alabama.
While head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson had no update on a potential timetable, Smith is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Prior to the injury, Smith had started 13 of the Bulldogs’ 16 games this season. Entering Georgia’s matchup against Alabama, she was the team’s second-leading scorer behind fifth-year Javyn Nicholson. Smith was also third in total rebounds, while averaging the second most minutes played.
While her play on the court speaks for itself, it’s Smith’s personality off of it that stands out to Abrahamson-Henderson.
“She’s very fun loving,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “She’s always a kid that was like, ‘You got this. You got this. You got this.’”
Smith was on pace for a career-year, scoring double digits in eight games this season, after only doing so seven times in her previous three years. The Bulldogs know everyone on the team will have to step up in order to replace Smith’s production.
“People have had to step up,” fifth-year Javyn Nicholson said. “A lot of people are being asked to do a little bit more than what they are used to doing, so we’re still trying to figure that out. It’s a grind and an adjustment for all of us, and everybody just has to do a little bit more.”
A First–Team All-State player from Brunswick, Georgia, Smith joined the Bulldogs prior to the 2020 season. During her freshman campaign, Smith appeared in 11 games, but averaged only 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Smith was a key contributor off the bench during her sophomore season, providing pivotal plays in numerous big games. As the season progressed, so did Smith, setting her up for a breakout junior year.
During her third season with the Bulldogs, Smith earned her first career start and started six of the 29 games she played in. Throughout her junior year, she achieved several personal accomplishments, including her first collegiate double-double and first game scoring in double figures. Smith’s much-improved junior campaign provided plentiful excitement for her senior season.
However, that season was cut short after 16 games and 402 minutes on the court.
Even with the injury, Smith will still have one year of eligibility remaining under the NCAA’s Covid-19 eligibility extensions. Despite the setback, Smith’s teammates have no doubt she will bounce back.
“She’s a soldier,” Nicholson said. “So we know she’s going to be okay, and we established that we’re there for her everyday.”