Napheesa Collier joins her husband and teammate Bridget Carleton in celebrating former Liberty coach Katie Smith’s Ohio State hire

The Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team announced that veteran coach Katie Smith would be joining its staff and WNBA star Napheesa Collier was one of the first to celebrate the move. The decision to bring in the former New York Liberty head coach was announced on Monday, with Smith coming in as an assistant coach to work with head coach Kevin McGuff.

Collier, along with several other high-profile figures, took to social media to send their best wishes to Smith as she embarks on her new journey. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year shared an image of her former Lynx coach with the following message:

"Thank you coach Katie"

Napheesa Collier congratulates coach Katie Smith after her move to Ohio State: Photo Credits: Napheesa Collier's IG account

Collier's husband, Alex Bazzell, and teammate, Bridget Carleton, applauded the move on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"We will miss you in Minny @katiesmith30," Bazzell wrote.

"The BEST," Bridget Carleton said.

Katie Smith has close ties to Ohio State. She was born and raised in Logan, Ohio, which is situated just 53 miles from the campus in Columbus. Smith also attended Ohio State between 1992 and 1996, excelling under coach Nancy Darsch. Smith helped guide the Buckeyes to the NCAA national championship and was named the Big-Ten Freshman of the Year in 1993.

Former WNBA point guard, Jacy Sheldon, who recently played with the Dallas Wings, will also join the OSU team as the director of player development.

Napheesa Collier worked alongside coach Katie Smith in Minnesota over five seasons

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier celebrates her team's win after game four of the 2024 WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty at Target Center. Photo Credit: Imagn

Katie Smith has already established herself as one of the top coaches in the women's game. She was previously the head coach of the New York Liberty and was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx since 2020.

Napheesa Collier worked with Smith over the last five seasons and the veteran coach played a role in developing the forward's game. Since making her debut for the Lynx in 2019, Collier has been selected to the All-Star team on four occasions and was named the WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

Last season, Collier and Smith were part of the Lynx team that went all the way to the WNBA Finals, where they lost to the New York Liberty in a thrilling five-game series.