MOREHEAD, Ky. – After earning NJCAA Division I Region XI Player of the Year honors and leading Iowa Western Community College to its first NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship appearance since 2017, Gabriella Smith has chosen to continue her career as a member of the Morehead State women's basketball program.

A 5-9 guard from Bolingbrook, Ill., Smith left her mark on the Reiver program in her lone season with the program, leading Iowa Western in scoring—ranking second amongst Iowa Community College Athletic Association Division I players—to help lead the program to a 22-3 record in 2020-21. In 24 games this season, she averaged 15.5 points, scoring in double-figures in 23 of her 24 games, five of which saw her score 20 or more points.

Smith shot 48.3 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from beyond the arc en route to her 15.5 points per game average, totaling 139 total made field goals and 52 made threes. She also ended the season ranked second among all Rievers in rebounding, pulling down 6.6 boards per contest, corralling 157 total boards while chipping in 66 assists and 39 steals during the 2020-21 campaign.

Against Southwestern on Jan. 27, Smith poured in a season-high 24 points and dished a season-best seven assists while shooting 66.7 percent (10-of-15) from the floor and 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from three. She added an additional 24 points game against Ellsworth on March 20, shooting 72.7 percent (8-of-11) from the field and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from beyond the arc.

In her lone season at Iowa Western, Smith led the Rievers to a 19-1 ICCAC record, including knocking off NJCAA Division II's No. 1 ranked team Kirkwood on March 13, an NJCAA Region XI and North Central District championship, and an appearance at the 2021 NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.

Prior to Iowa Western, Smith began her collegiate career at Ball State, playing in 28 games as a freshman in 2018-19. She averaged 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Cardinals while scoring in double-figures in five games, including a career-best 13 points against Ohio on Jan. 12, 2019. Smith also pulled down a career-high nine boards versus Western Michigan on Jan. 26, 2019, and also posted back-to-back 10-point games versus Tennessee State (Dec. 12, 2018) and Urbana [Ohio] (Dec. 30, 2018).

Prior to Ball State, she was a 1,000-point scorer at Bolingbrook High School, leading BHS to three straight regional championships while earning three-consecutive Southwest Suburban Conference First Team honors, including selection as the SWSC Player of the Year as a senior in 2018. During her senior campaign, Smith averaged 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals per game.

Smith is the first junior-college transfer in Morehead State's 2021-22 signing class joining incoming freshmen, guard Kalissa Lacy (Charleston, W. Va.) and post Janay Rose (Cincinnati, Ohio) in the signing class. Smith will be a junior during the 2021-22 season.