Jan "Snoopy" Smithwick interview – a Butterfly in basketball boots, the legacy of Snoopy Smithwick

We hope you enjoy episode #26 of our Australian Basketball History series – an in-depth interview with Jan "Snoopy" Smithwick – a Butterfly in basketball boots, the legacy of Snoopy Smithwick

We sat down with Snoopy at the 2024 Pan Pacific Masters Games on Australia’s Gold Cost to walk through her pioneering achievements and enduring legacy. Janice (Jan), affectionately known as "Snoopy", Smithwick is a legendary Australian basketball player and the former captain of the Opals, the Australia women's national basketball team. Snoopy, (born 6 August 1952 in Hamilton, Victoria), began her basketball journey as a junior in her hometown. Her passion and talent for the game soon led her to Melbourne, where she worked with the legendary Lindsay Gaze and began playing for the Comets. Snoopy’s elite playing career included representing Victoria in state teams and competing on the world stage as an Opal during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Snoopy represented Australia at the 1979 World Championship held in South Korea, and also played for the Opals at the 1980 World Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Bulgaria. A true icon of women’s basketball in Australia, Snoopy played in the inaugural seasons of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), representing CYMS Comets from 1981 to 1982 and the Coburg Cougars from 1983 to 1985. In 1985, she was part of the WNBL Championship-winning team with the Coburg Cougars. In 1994, Snoopy kicked off her masters basketball career with the newly founded Butterflies Basketball Club. Since then, she has proudly represented the Butterflies at six World Masters Games, the Pan Pacific Masters Games, and the Great Barrier Reef Masters Games.

The Butterflies are a unique team, made up of players from across Australia who once competed against each other before uniting to strengthen participation in their age group. Jan “Snoopy” Smithwick is universally regarded as one of the pioneering figures in Australian women’s basketball. Her warmth, leadership, and lifelong dedication to the game have inspired generations of women and girls and left an enduring legacy both on and off the court. Remember to like, comment and subscribe … and feel free to reach out if you have any recommendations for interviews with people who have contributed to Australian basketball history.