Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Ashley Smith, Greensburg Salem

By: Anthony Difilippo
Monday, January 2, 2023 | 1:43 PM

Last year, Greensburg Salem’s girls basketball team rolled to a 9-1 start.

Despite having only one loss, the team suffered its biggest in a game against Franklin Regional when sophomore center Kaitlyn Mankins suffered a season-ending injury.

Mankins is back for her junior season, and senior point guard Ashley Smith is excited to have one of the team’s more impactful players back in the lineup.

“It’s a huge difference,” Smith said. “It’s a huge help with rebounding and setting up different offenses we can use.”

After losing in the second game of the season to Greensburg Central Catholic, the Golden Lions rattled off five straight wins going into the holiday break.

Smith is pleased by the team’s performance and cites chemistry as a reason for the success.

“Our team does really well because we do a lot of passing,” Smith said. “We just click really well together on the court.”

Greensburg Salem had to replace basically all of its starters from last season, including Ashley’s older sister, Kylie.

It has not seemed to slow down the Golden Lions at all, but Smith recognizes how the team has had to adjust after the graduation of some of its leaders.

“Those girls did have a ton of energy and were all fully committed to basketball,” Smith said. “It didn’t feel right at first, but our team started growing together and learning to play with each other.”

Smith plays soccer in the fall.

Life for Smith is a little different than a lot of her teammates, as her family lives on a farm. She talked about one of the biggest differences.

“It mainly affects Saturday practices, as I usually milk (that day), waking up at 3:30 a.m. and going straight to practice by 9,” Smith said. “I adjust to it, and it’s not too bad.”

Smith is leaning toward attending Saint Vincent to play soccer and major in mechanical engineering.

With her season hitting the holiday break, Smith took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with basketball?

I played when I was younger, and then I didn’t start back up again until middle school because my older sister started it. I then decided to try it out.

In addition to Kaitlyn Mankins, your team also has Paytan Henry and Regan Kerr, who are both above 5-foot-11, playing in the paint. Do you try to work the ball inside to the taller players, and what is your specific role on this team?

With the post, a lot of our offenses do start with them, and then they do a little kick back. As the point guard, I kind of help set up plays, and I help out a lot on defense. I’m usually the one guarding the other team’s point guard or best shooter or biggest threat on the other team. I help lead practices and do that type of stuff.

What’s your biggest strength?

Probably defense. Up until this year, I never was a super good shooter. I could hit shots, but I mainly focus on more defensive stuff because I was quick enough to recover and guard the other girls.

Is there an area where you could improve?

Ball handling. Soccer’s my main sport, so I don’t necessarily always focus on basketball. I’ve never been a strong ball handler.

Why do you choose to play both soccer and basketball?

I guess just to stay active. I like playing sports. I’m really competitive with my sisters and everyone. It’s just something fun to do and keeps me busy.

What is one thing that people might not know about you?

I would probably say how important my family is in athletics and how they’ve pushed me to be more competitive. My family’s a huge part of who I am and what I like to do in life.

Tags: Greensburg Salem