WILMINGTON, N.C. – UNCW women's basketball head coach Nicole Woods has added Paige Smith, an NJCAA Division II All-America selection, to the Seahawks backcourt for the 2025-26 season. Smith, a 5-foot-7-inch guard, joins the Seahawks as a junior for the upcoming season.

"Paige is someone that checks all the boxes for us," Woods said. "We were looking for a three-level scorer and someone who played with an extra chip on her shoulders. We found it in Paige, and I'm excited about the next three years."

A native of Hagerstown, Maryland, Smith spent the 2024-25 season in her home state at CCBC Essex in Baltimore, one of the nation's top NJCAA programs. In 27.9 minutes per game as a sophomore, Smith shot 43% from the field, averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals in 33 games for the Knights, earning a handful of NCAA Division I offers.

She helped guide CCBC Essex to a 33-2 overall record and a victory against Kirkwood Community College in the 2024-25 NJCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Third Place Game. Smith scored 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including six three-pointers, while grabbing nine rebounds.

Smith ranked third in NJCAA Division II in 3-pointers made, knocking down 96 triples while shooting 34.4% from beyond the arc. She reached double figures 28 times, including 11 games with 20 or more points. Smith was automatic from the free-throw line in 2024-25, shooting 85.3% on 68 attempts.

As a freshman at Frederick Community College in 2023-24, Smith started in all 24 games, averaging 36.8 minutes and 23.2 points. She shot 41.7% from the field and made 63 three-pointers. Smith also scored 20 or more points in 19 contests, including a streak of 12 straight.