Okay, so today I decided to look into Katie Smrcka-Duffy and her time, if any, in the WNBA. Just one of those names that popped up, and I got curious. You know how I like to just poke around and see what I find, document the process.
Starting the Search
So, first thing I did was just plain searching online. Typed in “Katie Smrcka-Duffy WNBA”. Pretty basic, just wanted to see the landscape. Didn’t expect a mountain of info, maybe just the basics.
Right away, I saw hits connecting her to the draft. Okay, good start. It seems she was definitely on the radar. Found mentions she was picked in the 2000 WNBA Draft. That’s confirmed then, she was drafted.
Digging for Details
Next step was figuring out which team and what happened after the draft. Saw the Sacramento Monarchs drafted her. Fourth round, I think. So she had a legit entry point into the league.
Then I tried finding actual playing records. This is where it got a bit fuzzy. You know how it is with records from back then sometimes, especially if someone wasn’t a major star or didn’t play for long.
- Looked for official WNBA season stats for her.
- Tried searching Monarchs rosters from 2000, 2001 maybe.
- Scanned for any news snippets or game reports mentioning her.
Honestly, finding solid stats or game appearances was tough. It looks like she was with the Monarchs, maybe went through training camp, part of the initial group. But actual regular-season game time? Couldn’t find much evidence of that. Seems her active WNBA playing career might have been very short, or maybe didn’t even get fully started after the draft and camp.
Saw a lot more about her college career at Georgetown. Clearly a standout player there. Big East stuff, scoring records. Makes sense, that’s usually easier to find. Sometimes the transition to the pros is just tough, lots of competition.
What I Found Out (Or Didn’t)
So, wrapping this little search session up. Yes, Katie Smrcka-Duffy was drafted into the WNBA by Sacramento in 2000. That part is clear. But finding details on her actually playing in official league games was difficult. The trail kind of goes cold after the draft and maybe training camp. It suggests her time directly involved in playing in the WNBA was likely very brief or didn’t pan out past the initial stages.
Anyway, that was my process today. Just starting with a name and seeing where the search leads. Sometimes you find a lot, sometimes just bits and pieces.
