“It’s giving the next Azzi Fudd” — Fans draw parallels between Kaleena Smith and Fudd after Paige Bueckers asked her favourite basketball memory

Paige Bueckers interviewed high school freshman Kaleena Smith for Gatorade recently. Bueckers asked what Smith's favorite memory was from playing basketball, and she replied:

"Hitting 1,000 points for my freshman year. Since I was three, I've always had a ball in my hands. My mom used to play basketball college. Just seeing her play really inspired me to play basketball."

Fans in the comments, while appreciating Kaleena Smith's skills, compared her to UConn guard Azzi Fudd. One wrote:

“It’s giving the next AZZI Fudd!”

Fudd was also a standout player during her time at St. John's College High School. She was the first sophomore to win the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 26.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Fans' reaction (Credit: Instagram/@overtimeselect)

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Kaleena Smith: Player profile

In her first year at Ontario Christian High, Kaleena Smith averaged 33 points, six assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block. She shot 48% from the floor and finished with 40-plus points in five games and 30-plus points 11 times.

Smith scored at least 25 points in almost every outing except against Long Island Lutheran at the Nike Tournament of Champions when she was double-teamed throughout the game. She finished with nine points.

Kaleena Smith's parents are both basketball players, so basketball is in her genes.

“I was 3 when I first picked up a basketball and had a mini-hoop that my parents and grandparents gave me,” Smith said to LA Times. “I used to dribble a basketball around the house and I loved watching Kobe, LeBron and old clips of Michael Jordan.”

The guard plays for Team Taurasi, California Storm’s travel squad, and her father Aundre is the coach. He is also a varsity assistant at Ontario Christian.

“My dad has high expectations for me and when I’m not performing well he’ll pull me aside and say, ‘Let’s go!’ My whole circle is like that,” Smith said. “I don’t see it as pressure. There’s a lot on your plate when you’re the point guard. I like getting up and down the court fast and playing free, but I’m also good at running set plays.”

Kaleena Smith is a 2027 class graduate but has already received offers from multiple Division I major programs. So far, Smith's offers include LSU, UCLA, USC, UConn, Arizona, Louisiana State, South Carolina and Kentucky.

What do you think of Kaleena Smith's records? Let us know in the comment section below.