Girls’ basketball: Steve Smith steps down at L.A. Windward

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After 13 years as girls’ basketball coach at L.A. Windward, Steve Smith will be stepping down to devote full attention to being the school’s athletic director and pursuing a master’s degree.

He will be replaced by assistant Vanessa Nygaard, who played basketball at Stanford and in the WNBA and has been an assistant coach at Long Beach State, Pepperdine and in the WNBA.

Smith guided Windward to the 2010 state Division V championship and won two Southern Section titles and 12 league championships.

‘I couldn’t be more excited about Vanessa Nygaard leading this team into the future,’ Smith said in a statement.

-- Eric Sondheimer