The 27-year-old Otago Gold Rush player has taken over the reins from Janet Main this season and it has had a positive impact on her game.
She has played 65 games for Otago since making her debut in 2012 and arguably her past eight have been among her best performances.
The 1.81m forward is averaging 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds this season, well up on her career average of 2.9 and 2.8.
''With having a little bit more pressure I feel like I want to do better and I'm probably putting in a bit more work to try to lead from the front as well,'' Smith said.
''[As captain] you get a really different take on things having just cruised by as a player. Now I have to lead and it is a good challenge. The girls have been great and have been really receptive to anything.''
The Gold Rush has had a decent run in the Women's Basketball Championship with seven wins from 10 games, but the season comes down to how it performs in the finals in Christchurch during the next three days.
It will play Canterbury tonight and Taranaki tomorrow morning. One win ought to be enough to sneak into the semifinals. The final is on Saturday.
Nothing went right the last time the Gold Rush played Canterbury. It was well-beaten 70-42 at the Edgar Centre late last month but emerged victorious in a low-scoring struggle against Taranaki earlier in the season.
With star centre Natalie Visger unavailable for the finals, Smith will have to channel the feisty 10-year-old who first took up the sport at intermediate because she refused to wear a skirt and basketballers wore baggy shorts.
''I was a stubborn 10-year-old,'' she said.
Visger is like a second coach out on the court and the undersized Gold Rush will miss her presence under the hoop.
''It is a big loss. It is not only her physical presence but she is good at reading the game and controlling us and helping out with that side of the game.''
Otago is not a team which leans heavily on one player, though. Its strength is its ability to share the load, Smith said.
''Occasionally, we will have one player posting some good numbers but it is generally a good spread and I do think that is one of our strengths.''
There is some depth on the bench as well and the team has a good core of experienced players in the likes of Main, Soraya Umaga-Jensen and Danielle Frost.
Smith is one of three qualified physiotherapists in the team. Main and Umaga-Jensen are also able to help patch up the injured.
Smith's aspirations in the game do not extend beyond the WBC but she has enjoyed the extra responsibilities of captaincy.
''Doing more with the team this year has been good and I would like to build on that.
''I'd love to be able to put more work into basketball and go to that next level but I just don't really see myself being able to commit more.''
