Sara-Rose Smith understood she might have to give up playing time and stats when she moved to Colorado this past summer from Missouri.
It’s been a tiny price to pay, two months into her rookie season with the Buffaloes, who are ranked sixth.
“You kind of give up those five to seven minutes that I was averaging at Missouri,” the woman remarked. “I knew I was going to be a part of a winning and successful program, so I was completely fine with that. That being said, once I do go on the court, my work ethic remains the same.
Yes, I’m not producing nearly the same numbers as I did the previous season, but I believe that is simply because I am playing with excellent teammates and players.
The Australian 6-foot-1 senior guard has been a crucial component of the Buffs’ (11-1, 1-0 Pac-12) team. The Buffs will travel to Arizona on Friday (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Smith, a reserve at Missouri the previous season, led the Tigers in scoring with 6.7 points, grabbing 6.7 rebounds, and playing 21.7 minutes per game on average. Over the previous three years, she drove them to the Women’s NIT.
She’s playing 16 minutes a night for the Buffs this season and averaging 4.8 points and 4.6 rebounds.
Additionally, she has the best career field goal percentage (.581) and 3-point percentage (.385).
In Saturday’s victory over then-No. 12 Utah, Smith recorded her first double-double of the year (11 points, 12 rebounds). She has also made major contributions to victories over LSU, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Air Force, and other teams.
Despite having greater stats at Missouri, Smith believes her performance has improved since joining a CU squad that features a wealth of excellent players, like Jaylyn Sherrod, Aaronette Vonleh, Frida Formann, Quay Miller, and others.
“Playing with girls of such high caliber will only elevate you,” the woman remarked. They raise you to the required level. They had a set of expectations that they had, in a sense, established before I arrived, and they presented them to me rather clearly as soon as Maddie Nolan, the Michigan transfer, and I arrived. We’ve simply merged into the culture they’ve established. It just motivates me to improve, to put in more effort each day, and to be determined to fill the void that they seemed to be missing. Doing the small things and being my best self every day.
