After spending 19 months recovering from a severe knee injury that threatened to end her basketball career, Annette Smith came back strong in the 1985-86season and scored 22 points against USC to become the all-time leading scorer in UT basketball history. Not only did Smith break the record, but she held the nation’s best player, Cheryl Miller, to 2-of-10 shooting and did all this in front of 11,470 fans, the largest crowd in UT women’s basketball history. The game was paused, allowing the coaches and players to congratulate her briefly. Smith would end her career with 2,523 total points in addition to All-American and Southwest Conference Player of the Year (2) honors. She also received inductions in the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame and the UT Women’s Wall of Honor.

 

USC Coach Linda Sharp had this to say about Smith after the game: “Annette Smith does everything well. She is the quickest 5’11” post player I have ever seen play the game. I don’t feel like her knee injury slowed her down a bit.”

 

Photo credit: Susan Allen Sigmon, UT Athletics