From dreams of March Madness to hoisting the Conference USA (CUSA) Championship trophy, Bella Smuda’s fifth and final season with the Liberty University Women’s Basketball team was nothing short of remarkable. But for Smuda, the real victory came not just on the court, but rather in her deepening faith and surrendering to God’s plan.
“This was one of my biggest goals of the last five years,” Smuda said. “Our team has reached the championship countless times over the last seven years, but we have not won it. Winning this championship showed me that the hard work really pays off if you just trust in the Lord.”
As a fifth-year senior and starting center, Smuda entered her final season with a clear mission: lead her team to the CUSA Championship and compete in the NCAA Tournament. She credits the breakthrough to consistent prayer, spiritual discipline and a united team rooted in their faith in God.
The journey to that moment was anything but easy. The Lady Flames battled through a demanding schedule to finish the season 25-6 overall and 16-2 in conference play, showing resilience and growth with each game.
“We had weekly Bible studies, and so many of my teammates showed up consistently,” Smuda said. “They put in the work physically and spiritually.”
Though Smuda had once been hesitant about attending a Christian university, Liberty became the place where she learned to both chase her dreams and surrender her own plans to God.
“I often worried that I wouldn’t reach some of my goals as an athlete,” Smuda said. “But Proverbs 16:3 encouraged me that the Lord’s plans are good. If I just committed my work to the Lord, he would point me in the right direction.”
Her leadership on and off the court did not go unnoticed. Teammate redshirt junior center Emily Howard described Smuda as “a great teammate and friend.”
“Bella always pushes everyone to be great on and off the court. I am so proud of her journey here at Liberty,” Howard said.
Smuda led with intention, understanding that her role extended far beyond stats and minutes.
“I believe I grew a lot as a leader,” Smuda said. “I learned the best way to communicate with this group of girls that was the most effective. I did not try to do too much but rather allow each of my teammates to do what they had to do in order for us to win.”
As the conference championship game’s final minutes ticked away, Smuda recalled a sense of laser focus and unity among the team amid the intensity and pressure of the moment.
“We were so locked in. Our point guard, Jordan Hodges, kept telling us that all we had to do was keep stacking stops,” Smuda said. “We were so together in those last moments, and I remember just thinking that we were so close to making our dreams a reality.”
Liberty’s CUSA Championship run culminated in a gritty 53-48 victory over back-to-back CUSA champion Middle Tennessee State University. In the title game, Smuda came up big with 10 points and 13 rebounds, helping seal the program’s first CUSA tournament win in just their second year in the conference.
Smuda’s journey did not end with the conference title. That dream extended into the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where Liberty entered with an 11-game winning streak. In the opening round, the No. 13 Lady Flames faced the No. 4 University of Kentucky and found themselves in a major second-half rally.
Smuda battled in that game, putting up 14 points and 12 rebounds. Despite trailing Kentucky by as many as 17 points, the Lady Flames rallied and came within one point of the Lady Wildcats at the final buzzer.
“Making it to the NCAA Tournament was such a huge dream of mine the last few years, so making it felt like I accomplished my goals,” Smuda said. “It’s such a great opportunity to play on the big stage with the best competition. It was surreal honestly.”
Looking back, Smuda said she’s most proud of how her faith and trust were strengthened and how God worked through her story.
“I realized how necessary God’s guidance was in order for us to succeed. I could not do it all on my own,” Smuda said. “I put a lot more trust in him this season than I have in the past.”
In trusting in God, she found a deeper purpose that reached beyond the titles, trophies and victories.
“Being an athlete can be difficult, but it’s been so humbling to see how God can work through sports,” Smuda said. “We are truly just vessels in this story.”
Miller and Singley are contributing class writers.