skip navigation

Downingtown East alum Bella Smuda one of country's best young defenders

03/03/2022, 12:30pm EST
By Mitchell Northam

Mitchell Northam (@primetimeMitch)

LYNCHBURG, VA --- When Bella Smuda steps onto the basketball court, there is one thing, above all else, that she cherishes.

“I love blocking shots,” she says. “That’s been my favorite part of playing basketball, ever since I was young. Having the feeling of sending a shot like halfway across the court is the greatest feeling ever.”

Smuda’s passion for swatting shots might be why the sophomore is so superbly great at doing it.


Bella Smuda (above) is a 6-5 redshirt freshman at Liberty University. (Photo courtesy Liberty Athletics)

At first glance, Smuda’s statistics don’t jump off the page. For the Liberty Flames this season, she’s averaging 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 12.2 minutes per-game. Indeed, she doesn’t see the floor all that much.

But when the 6-foot-5 center gets into a contest, she impacts it in a big way. Or rather, Smuda owns the paint defensively. And a closer look at the advanced numbers – via HerHoopStats – back that claim up.

Per 40 minutes, Smuda is averaging 15.8 points, 15.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. That rebounding figure is the 24th best in the nation, and that block average is 33rd best.

Let’s keep digging: Smuda’s block rate this year – which measures the combined percentage of opponents’ two-point field goals blocked when she’s on the court – is 10.7%, which ranks 14th nationally. Smuda’s total rebound percentage – which measures the percentage of all rebound opportunities actually rebounded by a player – is 21.6%, which is 17th in the country.

And one more: Smuda’s defensive rating – which estimates the number of points allowed by a player, per-100 individual possessions faced by a player – is 71.0, which is the 16th best in the country.

Quietly, Smuda has turned herself into a star of advanced stats, and perhaps one of the nation’s best post defenders. No other player this season that’s played at least 20 games has the combination of defensive and rebounding statistics that Smuda does, per HerHoopStats.

“This year, I’ve just really been trying to do the most, or do the best, when I am in,” Smuda told CoBL recently. “Whether that be for a 30-second stretch, a two-minute stretch or a five-minute stretch – I just try to rebound the basketball, score if I have the opportunity. And I think that’s the best way to look at it: just do the best with the minutes you have.”

Indeed, Smuda is doing that and more. And the defensive sparks that she’s providing off the bench is helping Liberty have a historic season. The Flames – coached by Carey Green in his 23rd season – were the first team in the nation to reach 25 wins this year. They’re now 26-3 overall and a program-record-best 14-2 in the Atlantic Sun heading into the conference tournament.

“I think that this team can be incredible. I think we can be a team that people sleep on a little bit. Going into March, I hope that we can just be a team that kind of shocks the world a little bit.”

Bella Smuda (above) is making the most of her time on the court for Liberty, the advanced stats showing she's one of the best young defenders in the country. (Photo: Mitchell Northam/CoBL)

Liberty has pulled off a few surprising results this season, such as a December victory over Virginia Tech – a team that is now ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll and has cemented its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. But the Hokies came down to Lynchburg on Dec. 7 and were stunned by the Flames, 59-40. Smuda played 17 minutes in that victory – Liberty’s first over an ACC team since 2008 – and tallied two points, an assist, three rebounds and a block while helping hold Hokies’ center Elizabeth Kitley to just seven points. Kitley was just named ACC Player of the Year this week.

Smuda also shined in Liberty’s win at Bellarmine on Feb. 3, where – in just 16 minutes – she grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked three shots and scored eight points. Smuda simply put on a quick clinic in post play.

“Coach Green has a huge emphasis on rebounding,” Smuda said. “And I think, since last year, I've been trying to put more of an emphasis on that for my personal game. But you know, defense wins championships. That’s the mindset that I try to carry.”

Smuda was a headliner at Downingtown East. Since middle school, she’s often been much taller than her peers, and that helped her dominate in basketball and volleyball – another sport where blocking and spiking balls is valuable. Her sister Ariana is the standout player there now.

In the class of 2020, Smuda was tabbed as a three-star recruit by ESPN and was ranked as the 12th-best player at her position. She also had offers from UNC-Wilmington and William & Mary, among others, but opted to go down to Lynchburg to Liberty – a private evangelical school founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell, which has more than 100,000 undergraduates between its on-campus and online programs.

Liberty was a shift for Smuda. In high school, she was a four-year starter who scored more than 1,000 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds. Since joining the Flames, she’s played less than 14 minutes per game, and she’s never started.

“It's definitely been an adjustment, just trying to figure out my role on the team,” Smuda said.

Being away from home has been difficult at times too, especially over the past two years, amidst the pandemic.

“I’m really close to my family. So, it’s been an adjustment, just to not be as close to them,” Smuda said. “But I do enjoy both Philly and Lynchburg, so it’s been a good time.”

Beyond this season, Smuda has three years of collegiate eligibility left. More playing time should come with more blocks, rebounds and points, which should translate into more good times ahead for Smuda.


D-I Coverage:

HS Coverage:

Small-College News:

Tag(s): Home  Mitchell Northam  College  Division I  Downingtown East  Women's