"My family was athletic and my brothers played sports," says Katie Smith. "If they were musicians, I’d be doing something else." David Dow/NBAE/Getty Images

Sure, Detroit Shock veteran Katie Smith has won two WNBA titles and three Olympic gold medals. Sure she's the third all-time leading scorer in league history and the No. 1 all-time 3-point shooter ever in the WNBA. And sure, she was named the Finals MVP last October at the age of 34.

But Smith isn't satisfied yet. In fact, she says there's still room for improvement.

WNBA.com spoke recently with Smith, who last month earned her degree from Ohio State, to discuss her history in the game of basketball and how she continues to work hard with the hope of getting better each season.

WNBA.com: You're Katie Smith: WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist and all of those other honors... After a long and successful career, what motivates you?

KS: "To be the best I can be. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it well. I like to win. Competitiveness is why I do what I do."

WNBA.com: What annoys you the most about the world today?

KS: "Inconsiderate people or people who don’t take into consideration other people’s feelings. It’s not just their world."

WNBA.com: How old were you when you first picked up a basketball and started playing competitively?

KS: "I was on an all-boys' team in fifth grade. Back then there weren’t a bunch of girls' teams, but of course there were boys' teams everywhere. When we played shirts and skins, I was always shirts. And I was a monster against the boys. I wonder if there is any videotape. Girls grew taller than boys more quickly at that age. I was a good player."

WNBA.com: So you knew by the fifth grade that you were going to end up getting paid to play?

KS: "Around that time, I knew I was coordinated and athletic. At my first overnight basketball camp -- around seventh or eight grade -- I started understanding you could go to college for basketball. I began understanding how this all works."

WNBA.com: Did you have any role models growing up?

KS: "My family was athletic and my brothers played sports. Being around them and watching their games got me on this path. If they were musicians, I’d be doing something else. I also did track and volleyball. My senior year, I won states in the shot put and discus."

WNBA.com: If you weren’t one of the best basketball players in the world, what would you be doing for a living?

KS: "I’d probably be a dentist. That is the path I was heading along, but now that I’ve done this basketball thing for a while, the interest in being a dentist is starting to dwindle. My dad is a dentist. And there are definitely benefits: job security, more stable that sports world, decent money."

WNBA.com: Changing gears a bit, what's your favorite game show?

KS: "Press Your Luck. I love that show: 'No whammy, no whammy...' I like Price Is Right, too."

WNBA.com: What's your favorite reality show?

KS: "I want my house to be made over by Divine Design with Candice Olson. I like how she does the houses. If you're reading this, Candice, please come to my house! I’ve been there since 2001 and it still looks like I just moved in."

WNBA.com: What's your favorite saying?

KS: "Everybody ain’t able."

WNBA.com: What's your favorite motivational saying?

KS: "Doubt it, do without it. Believe it, achieve it."

WNBA.com: Do you have a message for the kids?

KS: "Don’t forget to work. I know on TV you see all of the glamour, but don’t think it happened over night. People aren’t just born shooting jump shots and dribbling like pros. If you love it and think it is worth it, go work hard for it. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears behind everything we do."

WNBA.com: You’ve accomplished a lot during your career. Are there still some things you need to work on?

KS: "I always need to be consistent, make shots and not turn the ball over. It’s hard to get my body together so I can do what I’m capable of doing. I think there is a lot of room for improvement. I want to make sure I’m physically ready. As you get older, your body recovers slower and the aches and pains become more significant. You have to try to stay in shape in order to be competitive and stay on this level. Our seasons are long and everyone is different. I’m anxious. We have a great crew coming back up in Detroit and I can’t wait to see what we can do."