EMPOWER BASKETBALL STAFF

Lynn Hersey - Head Coach

Lynn Hersey, the Back-To-Back D3Hoops.com National Coach of the Year(2024 & 2025) and the 2023 WBCA National Coach of the Year, begins her 19th season as head coach of the Smith Basketball team in
2025.

The program's all-time leader in wins (332) and a 2025 Maine Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, Hersey has developed Smith into a national powerhouse during her tenure, as her program has advanced to Back-
To-Back Division III National Championship games (2024 & 2025), and 3 NCAA Final Fours in a row (2023, 2024, & 2025). Hersey's teams have qualified for the postseason 14 times with her at the helm.

At Smith:

• 7x NCAA Tournament Appearances
  (2013,2019,2020,2022,2023 & 2024 & 2025)
• 2024 & 2025 National Finalists
• 2023 NCAA Final Four
• 5x NCAA Sweet 16 Appearances
• 5x NEWMAC Championships (2020, 2022, 2023 & 2024)
• 3 Consecutive 30 win seasons (2022-2025)
• 20-6 record in the NCAA Tournament
• 4 WBCA All-Americans in the last 4 Seasons
• 4 NEWMAC Athlete of the Year selections
• 17 N EWMAC All-Conference First T earn Selections

Awards & Honors:

• 2025 Maine Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2024 & 2025 D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year
• 2023 WBCA National Coach of the Year
• 3x WBCA Coach of the Year Finalist (2023 & 2024)
• 5x NEWMAC Coach of the Year (2012, 2013, 2018, 2022 & 2023)
• 2x D3hoops.com Region 2 Coach of the Year (2022)
• 2x NEWBA Coach of the Year (2022-2023)

Coaching Experience:

• Head Coach, Smith College (2008-present)
• Co-Head Coach, Amherst College (2005-2007)
• Assistant Coach, Amherst College (2001-2005)

Coaching Tree:

• Kat Puda '23 - Smith College Assistant Coach
• Kate Kerrigan '20 - Smith College Assistant Coach
• Devon Quattrocchi '18 - Brown University Director of Basketball Operations
• Jill Pace '14 - Tufts University Head Coach
• Chessie Jackson '13 - TCNJ Head Coach
• Samantha Norris '12 - Southern Maine Head Coach

Education:

• Bachelor of Science - Business Administration - UVM - 2002
• Master's of Arts - Sports Studies - UNH - 2008

Jen MacAulay - Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator

MacAulay enters her 10th season as an assistant
basketball coach at Smith College in 2025

At Smith:

• 2024 & 2025 National Finalists
• 2023 NCAA Final Four
• 5x NCAA Tournament appearances
• 5x NEWMAC Champions
• 202-38 overall record

Awards & Honors:

• 2023 NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year

Coaching Resume

• Assistant basketball coach - Smith College (2016-present)
• Assistant women's basketball coach/Recruiting Coordinator - UMass Amherst (2011-2016)
• Assistant women's basketball coach - Vermont (2008-2010)
• Graduate assistant coach - UNH (2006-2008)

Education

• Bachelor of Science - Business Administration - UVM - 2002
• Master's of Arts - Sports Studies - UNH - 2008

Athletic Career

• Four-year member of the UVM women's basketball team
• 2000 America East Champions - NCAA First Round
• 2002 WNIT Quarterfinals

Katherine Puda - Assistant Coach

Kat Puda enters her 5th season as an assistant coach with the Smith Basketball program in 2025. She also serves as the Marketing Director for Mentoring Through Athletics, a nonprofit
organization committed to providing youth student-athletes from low-income areas with access to affordable sports programs, free academic tutoring, and food/clothing/school supply drives for their families and the community.

At Smith:

• 2024 & 2025 National Finalists
• 2023 NCAA Final Four
• 4x NCAA Tournament appearances
• 4x NEWMAC Champions
• 116-12 overall record

Awards & Honors:

• 2025 WBCA Thirty Under Selection
• 2023 NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year
• 2021 Smith Athletics Graduate Assistant Coach of the Year

Coaching Resume

• Assistant basketball coach - Smith College (2023-present)
• Graduate assistant basketball coach - Smith College (2021-2023)
• Assistant girls basketball coach - King Philip High School (2020-2021)

Education

• Master's Degree - Exercise and Sport Studies - Smith College - 2023
• Bachelor's Degree - Health Science and Psychology - Brandeis University - 2021

Athletic Career

• Four-year member and captain of the Brandeis women's basketball team

Ally Yamada - Graduate Assistant Coach

Coach Ally Yamada enters her second year as a graduate assistant with the Smith College Basketball program in 2025. She graduated from Smith and studied biology, where she was also a 4-year varsity basketbal I player and senior captain. As a player, Yamada set the record for 3-pointers made in a season AND career 3-pointers made all-time at Smith. Her legacy at Smith included 2 NCAA Sweet 16 Appearances, 2 NCAA Final Four Appearances, and a National Championship game appearance in her senior campaign. Her record over 4 seasons playing at Smith tallied to 111-13. Yamada is currently working to obtain her Master's Degree in Exercise Sports and Studies.