Former University of Utah star Kim Smith's second WNBA season has been slowed by a sprained left foot and personnel moves by the Sacramento Monarchs.
Smith, a first-round draft pick who averaged 2.4 points in 31 games last season, has spent much of this year on the inactive list. She has played in just three games and has yet to score, logging just six minutes of playing time.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Smith's foot injury came at a time when the Monarchs were in need of a big post player after DeMya Walker was lost for the season. Sacramento wound up acquiring former UNLV star Linda Frohlich, and Smith was left on the 11-player active roster.
"I think it's just my role right now," said Smith, who told the Bee she is working hard and believes improvement comes in practices not games.
Smith had signed a contract to play in Belgium during the offseason.
Shona Thorburn, who teamed with Smith on Utah's 2006 team that reached the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight, also has seen limited action in the WNBA this season.
The Minnesota Lynx cut the former first-round pick just before the season began. As a rookie, she appeared in 22 games for the Lynx and averaged just 6.5 minutes of play.
Seattle signed the free agent to a seven-day contract earlier this month. The Storm, however, opted not to renew Thorburn's deal. She played eight minutes over two games before being released.
Another former local standout, ex-BYU forward Ambrosia Anderson, will be off to play professionally in Greece later this summer after failing to find a 2007 WNBA roster spot after a multistop rookie season..
Drafted in the second round — No. 17 overall — of the 2006 WNBA draft, she bounced around with four teams last summer and appeared in just four games, totaling nine minutes, four rebounds, one attempted shot and no points.
Anderson was initially selected by Detroit but traded on draft day to Minnesota, which later waived the ex-Cougar before the start of the regular season. Connecticut picked up Anderson, who played one game for the Sun before being waived again.
She joined the New York Liberty and appeared in three '06 games, but the team waived her in April 2007 before the start of the current season.