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Ontario Christian Knights elite sophomore prospect Kaleena Smith said in a documentary in September 2023 that her major motivation was to prove her doubters and 'haters' wrong. The teenager is highly rated in high school basketball and has continued to grow with the Knights in the last two years.
The five-star recruit spoke about her motivation in a documentary chronicling her life and rise in high school basketball in 2023. The documentary titled "SPECIAL KAY's Historic Freshman Run! Taking a Small Private School to New Heights!" focused on her freshman year with Ontario Christian. The documentary was uploaded on YouTube by Hoopers4Dayz on Saturday, February 15.
“I play the way I play because I want to prove my haters wrong because a lot of people like to talk bad about me and I didn’t do anything bad to anybody. I am also playing for my family,” Smith said in the documentary (00:11:04).
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Smith has continued to impress over the past two years and has been on a roll this season as well. She impressed against Sage Hill in the opening game of the Southern Section Open Division Girls basketball playoffs on Feb. 15.
The 16-year-old guard put up 21 points to help Ontario Christian win the game 68-35. That result took Ontario Christian to 26-1. In the ESPN high school girls’ basketball team rankings posted on Feb. 12, Smith-led Ontario was ranked number 1.
A look at Kaleena Smith's achievements
Kaleena Smith has been making a name for herself at just 16. The five-star prospect was recently named among the semifinalists for the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year award. She was also nominated for the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year award in January.
Smith is also the first High School Women’s basketball player to sign a NIL deal with Adidas. She was the first player to be signed under three-time WNBA champion and seven-time WNBA All-Star Candace Parker.
The youngster is averaging 23.9 points this season and is one of the top players in the US for her level. Smith has a good shot at showcasing her talent in the Open Division championship game if she helps Ontario Christian defeat Sierra Canyon at home on Feb. 22.
