Posting up a big career: The family ties that shaped Liberty’s Bella Smuda into the athlete she is today

For every team that Liberty women’s basketball has faced this season, one name on the scouting report never gets overlooked: Bella Smuda. The 6-foot-6 post player’s presence on the court is vital for the Lady Flames, who have watched Bella surge to new heights in her first season as a starter. 

The redshirt junior center is fresh off the most electric performance of her career, where she wreaked havoc on the UTEP Miners with a 27-point day that cushioned her team’s 87-68 conference victory. 

But the grit and intensity the Pennsylvania native plays with stretch far beyond the hardwood. For Bella, her mentality is one that stems from her great-grandmother, Babcia. Babcia took on the role of raising Bella’s father, Jimmy, after his mother passed at a young age; and the Polish immigrant had an influence that still remains a couple of generations down the line. 

“My great-grandmother, she was amazing,” Bella said. “What I loved about her was that she was no-nonsense. She was just like, ‘This is how it is, and this is how it’s going to be.’ But I think that’s really where my dad got a sense of hard work. …  I really am appreciative of her because she put those qualities in my dad, who I think has put those qualities into us as well.”

While the Smuda household was one rooted in hard work, it wasn’t shy of fun. The family’s favorite activity to do together was, of course, basketball. For Bella and her younger siblings Ariana and JoJo, those moments shared were special. While her mom, Gloria, would usually sit on the sidelines to watch the game, the two-on-two battles were still fiery. 

“We would go to the park all the time and just play,” Bella said. “We would play two-on-two a lot — like my dad and me and my sister and my brother — and it would get pretty intense, especially when my brother was little because we were so much bigger than him. He would get all upset because we would, like, block his shot and stuff. And he’s like, ‘This isn’t fair,’ but he’ll be thankful for it.”

Jimmy was and is to this day the pastor of a church in Pennsylvania. The life of a pastor’s kid and aspiring basketball star was a lot for the young Bella to juggle, but the support of her father never wavered in his attempt to help his children’s dreams come true.   

“My dad didn’t grow up with a lot of family around him,” Bella said. “He just had his grandma pretty much. And so I think with me growing up as a pastor’s kid, my dad put a big emphasis on family. … He really supported all of my basketball goals and dreams and all of that.”

The dreams were big for Bella. By the time she hit junior high, she found herself more in love with the game than ever before. 

“I remember in middle school I would literally cry every time we lost. And I remember my teammates were like, ‘Bella, it’s not that big a deal.’ And I would be in the bus, I’m like, ‘Yes, it is,” Bella said. “I think that’s when it really mattered to me and was something more than just a fun little thing I did on the side. I started to get better at that point, too. So then I was starting to take it more seriously, as well.”

Bella attended Downingtown East High School in Chester County, Pennsylvania, scoring over 1,000 points and coming down with 1,000 rebounds in her four-year career. By the time her senior year found its end, she was ranked as the No. 13 post player in the Class of 2020 by ESPN’s HoopGurlz. 

Entering her college career, there was no doubt in Bella’s mind about where she wanted to spend the next chapter. After visiting Liberty and seeing all the Lady Flames had to offer, her mind was made up, and she couldn’t be happier with the decision. 

“I’m so grateful that God pointed me in this direction because I’ve met some of my best friends ever. I’m so grateful that they were put in my life, and some are still on the team, some have left; and even just outside of basketball, I’ve met some great people even in other sports, and I’m just so grateful for all of them,” Bella said.

Bella spent her first three seasons sitting behind an all-time Flames great in Mya Berkman. She knew the transition from second-string to starter in her redshirt junior year would be a challenging one, but the center has risen to the challenge.   

“I think her leadership has grown the most this season and getting the girls on board,” Lady Flames assistant coach Katie Mattera said. “It hasn’t been the easiest season, but she keeps a level head and keeps the team constantly going every day.”

Now just 26 points shy of becoming the Lady Flames’ 21st 1000-point scorer in program history, the mark Bella has made on the court is undeniable. The driven 21-year-old is preparing to take her team on a run at the Conference USA tournament, with ultimate aspirations of an NCAA Tournament appearance. But when she thinks of the way she hopes to be remembered as a Lady Flame, her performance on the court comes second. 

“I just really hope that people can look back and maybe see, oh, Bella Smuda really cared. So many people did that for me before, where there were teammates who really challenged me to grow,” Bella said. “And sometimes it wasn’t always easy, and a lot of times I didn’t like them for it, but I’m so grateful for them now. … It’s cool to get all these stats, but that isn’t really what I think I want to make an impact on. I think it’s more the teammates that I have around me now. I hope that they look back and see that I really cared about them and cared deeper than just basketball.”

Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X