The first time head coach Heidi VanDerveer saw redshirt junior guard Rosa Smith, she couldn’t help but notice the guard had a “great bounce to her game.”
The Tritons were in Italy — playing a collection of local teams from all over the country — when Smith first had the opportunity to showcase her skills. The team performed well, beating two of three of its opponents, but Smith stood out. She led the team with 14 points in the first game and eight straight points to start the third game.
Smith ultimately spent the 2024 season on the bench, as a lower-leg injury unfortunately sidelined her after just eight games. Two years later, though, Smith returned, fully healthy and playing like someone determined to make up for every minute lost.
Smith has been vital to the Tritons’ success this season. She averages a career-high 11.4 points per game this year, as well as being third on the team in 3-point percentage, proving to be a key part of UCSD’s exterior success. She is second on the team in assists, demonstrating her ability to locate open players on the court. On Dec. 6, 2025, Smith demonstrated all her skills, putting up 27 points in a blowout win against Long Beach State. Her performance — 11 of 18 from the field, four total 3-pointers made, five total assists, and two steals — marked the start of a dominant 17-3 Big West record and being crowned Big West regular-season champions. But, for Smith, the journey wasn’t always smooth sailing.
Smith began her collegiate career at Idaho, where she appeared in 30 games, scoring double-digit points in nearly half of them. In Idaho, Smith showed flashes of greatness. There, a 30-point night against Sacramento State and a double-double against Grand Canyon caught VanDerveer’s attention.
“[Rosa’s] not just somebody who exists; she’s somebody who thrives,” VanDerveer said. “You can tell that from her recruiting visit; you could tell that from the way she played when you watch her on film — just somebody who people gravitate towards.”
In May 2023, VanDerveer confirmed Smith would head southwest to join UCSD — a school both her father, who played collegiate volleyball, and mother attended. In her debut season as a Triton, she averaged 6.9 points per game on 30% shooting, also tallying four double-digit performances in her eight starts before injury.
One season later, Smith played her 2024-25 campaign coming off the bench — but struggling in her return from injury. She averaged just 2.2 points per game in 7.7 minutes per game that year and, once again, after just 24 appearances, saw her season end early due to injury.
“Last year, you know, she spent time trying to get her footing back,” VanDerveer said.
Up to this point in her Triton career, Smith hadn’t had much playing time — and things seemed likely to remain that way. She missed the first game of the 2025-26 season and came off the bench once she was able to play. Despite the setback, her injury pushed her to improve. After an impressive 13-point performance against San Francisco, Smith made her way back into the starting lineup, where she has remained since.
“Shooting the three is like a go-to for me, especially coming off surgery,” Smith said.
With more play time, Smith has elevated her game, making her a tough player to match up against. She scored double-digit points in six straight games — one of them her 27-point performance against Long Beach State — and helped lead the team to a 4-2 record in that stretch right before conference play began. Then, once the Tritons entered Big West play, Smith continued her dominance.
On Jan. 3, against Hawai’i, Smith made four 3-pointers — her third time doing that in the season. She also averaged double-figure scoring against the Rainbow Wahine on the year. Meanwhile, in the first meeting against UC Irvine, on Jan. 24, Smith read through coverages, got open, and once again, made four total 3-pointers on her way to scoring 20 total points. This pattern continues against the entire Big West, as well. Against nonconference opponents, she averages 10.5 points per game, but in conference, her average jumps up to 12.3 — a testament to her command on the court as of late.
“[Teams] play me a little bit tighter since I’ve been shooting outside,” Smith said to The UCSD Guardian. “Predicting that [teams] are coming with physicality off those ball screens gives me a different look where they’re sagging off.”
After a strong showing against the Big West, the Tritons earned a 17-3 record against the conference and clinched the second seed in the tournament, where they’ll receive two byes and play the first game on Friday, March 13. Smith, meanwhile, awaits her first appearance in the tournament.
“She’s a worker, and she’s a winner,” VanDerveer said. “She’s had to reinvent herself differently … and that’s very exciting for our team. I’m very excited [to see her play in the Big West tournament].”
