PODCAST: New York Liberty head coach Katie Smith

After a long, successful tenure by Bill Laimbeer, the New York Liberty are now Katie Smith’s team. Laimbeer said he thought it was time. The consensus around the league reinforced this.

So what does Katie Smith think? Listen and find out.

Smith discusses a broad range of topics, from what will remain the same in her charge and what will change for the Liberty, to precisely how a New York team that consistently reaches the playoffs but has yet to break into the Minnesota-Los Angeles range can take the final steps necessary to win the Liberty their first WNBA title.

Plus, Smith weighs in on the differences between coaching and dentistry (spoiler alert: there are many!), how she reconciles her all-time great play with coaching those who are simply not as accomplished as she is, and precisely how much she is going to rely on the great Tina Charles, New York’s star, in 2018 and beyond.

There are plenty of reasons for optimism in the year ahead for the New York Liberty, but perhaps none as clear as the ascension of Katie Smith. Listen to her describe her plans and you’ll understand why the league has been planning for Smith to coach a team since long before she even retired.

Listen to the episode here: