Adrianna Smith, a 5-foot-11 power forward from Reston, Virginia, has made a verbal commitment to play for the University of Maine women’s basketball team in 2021.
Smith was one of the nation’s top 100 seniors invited to play next month in the prestigious Wootten Basketball Camp showcase in Mansfield, Texas.
UMaine head coach Amy Vachon is prohibited by NCAA rules from commenting on a recruit until the school has received a signed National Letter of Intent.
Smith said she originally had no intention of going north to play college basketball.
“But the coaching staff really did it for me. I talked to them for the first time during the lockdown on Zoom and I felt connected to them. I could talk to them.
“It is a good fit for me and the way I play,” Smith said.
Smith and her mother drove up to Maine last month to visit the area and they discovered University of Maine merchandise everywhere.
“You would think [UMaine] was a professional team. I really liked it. There’s good support. Sometimes, women’s basketball isn’t well-supported but it really is in Maine,” she said.
Smith averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, two blocked shots and two assists for Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. She was a first-team all-state selection after earning All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference second-team honors.
Smith also plays summer basketball for the Fairfax Stars AAU program that has sent three players to UMaine in recent years. They include in 1,462-point scorer Liz Wood and two current Black Bears, senior Maeve Carroll and freshman Katie White.
“They’re going to love what she can bring to a game,” said Aggie McCormick-Dix, who coaches Bishop O’Connell and also coaches in the Fairfax Stars travel program that she created 25 years ago.
“She can hit the 3, she can pull up and shoot and she can also post you up,” McCormick-Dix said. “She can block shots, handle the ball and make real nice passes.”
McCormick-Dix described Smith as having the skills of a bigger wing player and said she has good passing instincts. However, what sets her apart is her physicality.
“She will hit you. She takes contact very well,” McCormick-Dix said of Smith, whom she described as a hard worker who is positive and upbeat.
McCormick-Dix predicts Smith will contribute immediately for the Black Bears, who will lose second-team All-America East forward Carroll and former America East rebounds leader Fanny Wadling to graduation.
“I’m really looking forward to coming to Maine. I want to enjoy my senior year this season but I hope it goes by fast,” Smith said.
Smith said she wants to improve her shooting, especially midrange shots, to prepare for the transition to the college game.
Her participation at UMaine is contingent upon her acceptance by the school and compliance with NCAA eligibility requirements.