Jaguars’ Maizie Smith to join her sister, Tillie, on NIACC women’s basketball team

Ankeny Centennial’s Maizie Smith goes up for a shot during a game against Cedar Rapids Prairie last year at Johnston. Smith has verbally committed to play for North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City. (Photo by Jerrad Downer)

Ankeny Centennial’s Maizie Smith will continue her basketball career at the collegiate level.

Smith, a guard, announced her verbal commitment on Friday to play for North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City. The senior-to-be will be reunited with her sister Tillie, who graduated from Centennial in May.

Tillie initially committed to play for Grand View before flipping her commitment to NIACC.

“Getting the chance to play with Tillie again is not an opportunity I thought I would have, so I’m very excited about it,” said Maizie. “But it wasn’t my deciding factor.”

Ankeny Centennial’s Tillie Smith passes the ball to teammate Finley Blackmore during the Jaguars’ loss to Johnston in last year’s Class 5A semifinals at Wells Fargo Arena. Smith initially committed to play for Grand View but then flipped her commitment to NIACC, where she will be joined by her sister Maizie in the fall of 2026. (Photo by Evan Reiter)

Smith helped the Jaguars to a 17-8 record and a trip to the Class 5A semifinals last season. She played in 23 games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds.

Smith scored the bulk of her points from 3-point range. She went 14-of-38 from behind the arc (36.8 percent).

“My recruiting journey didn’t go exactly how I’d hoped it would, being that I’ve had three knee surgeries,” Maizie said. “I had to reassess my goals, and NIACC checked a lot of the boxes I was looking for in a program/school.

“I have an amazing relationship with the coach and overall I felt like it was somewhere I belonged,” she added.