There were plenty of good reasons why Lincoln-Way West’s Caroline Smith shouldn’t have played high school basketball as a senior. She already had a scholarship locked in for volleyball at Drake. Playing basketball meant dealing with the overlap of two sports, including club volleyball with First Alliance, which could take a toll on her body and mind. Even though some people urged her to forget about basketball this winter and concentrate on volleyball, the 6-foot-1 forward forged ahead anyway. “I considered not doing it,” she said. “But for my high school career, I just wanted to finish it out.” And Smith finished it out in style. The 2024-25 Daily Southtown Girls Basketball Player of the Year averaged a double-double and helped lead the Warriors to a 23-12 record. Needless to say, she doesn’t regret the decision to continue with her so-called second sport. “This season was one of my favorites,” Smith said. “I feel like we came in as the underdogs and we did better than expected. We kept getting better. “Everyone on the team is friends with each other, and it was just a great season.” Lincoln-Way West’s Caroline Smith (12) drives to the basket against Lockport’s Alaina Peetz (44) during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Lockport on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown) During a well-rounded final season, Smith averaged 13.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.8 blocked shots. “I’ve always described her as a stat stuffer,” Lincoln-Way West coach Ryan White said. “She checks all of the boxes. She scores. She plays defense. And she’s our school’s all-time leading rebounder and shot blocker.” Junior teammate Molly Finn also appreciated Smith’s versatility. After Smith scored a career-high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocked shots on Dec. 19 in a 54-43 win over Lincoln-Way Central, Finn said Smith was “super aggressive.” “She always gets her rebounds,” Finn said. “She’s really good at driving and can hit her threes occasionally. I feel like she plays with a lot of energy all the time and plays hard.” Lincoln-Way West’s Caroline Smith (12) banks in a shot against Lincoln-Way East during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in Frankfort on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown) Smith said her versatility started to develop after she began playing for Lincoln-Way West. “Earlier in high school, it was harder for me to score and I focused a lot on defense,” she said. “That’s where my assists came, too, because I was always looking for my teammates. “They were good at looking for me and passing to me also.” White had a chance to watch Smith grow into the player she is now. His daughter, Peyton, played AAU with Smith for the Lincoln-Way Xplosion and he got to watch her improvement. “She had the length at a young age and you could see the athleticism with how she moved,” White said of Smith. “I started watching her from fifth grade on, and every year, you could see the growth as she played more basketball. “She was handling the ball and doing a little bit of everything, so you could see her progress all the way through.” Lincoln-Way West’s Caroline Smith (12) powers into Lincoln-Way Central’s Brooke Baechtold (23) during a SouthWest Suburban Conference game in New Lenox on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown) As far as picking between volleyball and basketball, Smith took a deeper interest in volleyball as her older sister, Abby, started to excel in the sport. Abby, who also played for Lincoln-Way West, was a junior outside/right-side hitter in the fall for Augustana. Caroline, a natural outside, played some middle as well for the Warriors. “At the beginning of high school, I was still undecided,” Caroline said of what sport she would pursue more seriously. “But then the passion of volleyball grew.” Smith still maintained her fondness for basketball, however. She’s sad to see that chapter end. “I’m definitely going to miss it with all of the people I’ve met,” she said. “It’s always been a part of me when I was growing up. I started in the park district leagues and played it up until now. “It’s competitive. It’s just a great sport, and I loved playing it.” Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. ...read more read less