FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE LOCKED IN - SMITH JOINS THE VENOM

Geelong Venom has strengthened its front court stocks, confirming the commitment of forward Sara-Rose Smith for the 2026/27 WNBL season pending league approval — completing the club's roster ahead of the new campaign.

Smith joins the Venom off the back of a five-year college career at the University of Colorado, where she developed into one of the program's most reliable rebounders. In her fifth-year season (2024-25), she averaged 4.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, highlighted by a career-high 19 rebounds against Kansas — the fourth most in program history — and a career-high 21 points at Utah Tech.

A proven rebounder throughout her college career, Smith led the Buffaloes in rebounding in 10 games during her final season and recorded six double-doubles as a junior, ranking 14th in the SEC with 6.7 rebounds per game that year.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Venom for my first WNBL season! Grateful for the opportunity and ready to get to work with this group” Said Smith.

Venom head coach Cheryl Chambers said Smith's rebounding instincts and physicality round out a roster she's excited about heading into the new season.

"Sara-Rose brings a real toughness on the boards that you can't teach — she's proven that against some of the best competition in college basketball over five years in the SEC. She's got a great basketball IQ, she competes every possession, and we know from her junior career that she's got the talent to represent this country at the highest level. With Sara-Rose in the fold, we've now got our full roster locked in, and I couldn't be happier with the group we've built for 2026/27," said Chambers.

Smith's basketball pedigree runs deep. As a junior representative, she was named to Australia's selection camp roster for the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup and won a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics playing 3x3 for Australia. She also led Lake Ginninderra College to an Australian Schools Championship in 2019, averaging 20.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, and spent two seasons with the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence competing in the NBL1 league.

Off the court, Smith is a journalism major and comes from a sporting family. She hopes to continue playing professionally with an eye on one day representing Australia at the Olympics.

With the roster now finalised, Geelong Venom heads into the 2026/27 WNBL season with a squad blending international experience, proven depth and homegrown talent.