May 21, 2008

BERKELEY, Calif. - California assistant coach Charmin Smith attended the 10-year reunion of the first WNBA Minnesota Lynx team May 18. Smith played for the Lynx during their inaugural 1999 season.

It was a jam-packed day in which Smith was reunited with some of her past teammates, including Katie Smith, who now plays for the Detroit Shock, and interacted with current Lynx team members, including Seimone Augustus (the 2005-06 National Player of the Year from LSU) and three former Pac-10 stars, Candice Wiggins (Stanford), Noelle Quinn (UCLA) and Eshaya Murphy (USC).

The festivities in Minneapolis began with a pregame Fan Fest. Smith signed autographs for fans for an hour. She also attended a 10-year season ticket holder reception and ceremony.

Following the pregame activities, Smith sat courtside with Minnesota's owner, Glen Taylor, and enjoyed watching the Lynx defeat the Shock, 84-70, in both teams' season opener at the Target Center.

After starring at Stanford from 1993-97, Smith entered the professional playing ranks in the American Basketball League (ABL) from 1997-98 as a member of the Portland Power. She also played three years in the WNBA with the Seattle Storm and the Lynx, and one year in the Swedish Basketball League.

Smith, who is Cal's recruiting coordinator, helped the Bears register their best season in school history. Cal finished 2007-08 with a 27-7 record, breaking the 1983-84 team's school record (24-8) for wins in a season. Last year's team also earned a school-record third straight NCAA Tournament selection.