"Everybody eats": Youth hooper in awe of No. 1 WBB Sophomore Kaleena Smith's performance

Kaleena Smith, the No.1 women’s basketball player in the class of 2027, is turning into a sensation, albeit just being a sophomore. On Tuesday, a young basketball aspirant posted a recorded video from the match between Smith’s Ontario Christian and Rancho Christian.

Impressed by the performances of the high school basketball athletes, the young fan tagged Smith and Tatianna Griffin’s accounts and appreciated them with the caption:

“Everybody eats and everybody shines!! @special.kayyy11 @tea_time12”

Smith acknowledged the fan’s support by resharing her story.

Kaleena Smith via Instagram (@special.kayyy11)

On Monday, the Ontario Christian Eagles faced off against the Rancho Christian Knights, which ended in a 95-69 Eagles win. The game started with Rancho Christian leading 33-23 after the first period. However, they could not hold on to the lead as Ontario Christian’s transition game and defensive adjustments were too much to handle.

“Nothing really surprises me anymore,” Ontario Christian first-year coach Aundre Cummings told Daily Bulletin. “Everyone is throwing everything at us. I was a little surprised at our response in the first quarter. We’re still learning some things. We don’t know how teams are going to come out against us. We adjusted well in the second quarter, but I’d have liked to see that come sooner.”

Smith led her team with a double-double performance of 29 points and 12 assists. Senior Alanna Neale also had a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds, alongside one assist and four steals. Moreover, Griffin also contributed to the victory with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals.

For Rancho Christian, Julia Wilson and Alyson Boyd led the team with 20 and 13 points, respectively.

Ontario Christian improved to 22-1 with three games left in the season.

Kaleena Smith signed with Adidas under a NIL deal

Adidas has signed 16-year-old Kaleena Smith and marked its first NIL deal with a high school women's basketball player. This initiative is part of Adidas' expansion under Candace Parker, the company's president of women's basketball.

Smith, a 5-foot-5 point guard, averaged 34.9 points, 6.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 steals per game in her freshman year. She has also earned accolades, such as the 2023-24 Girls Basketball MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year and a spot on the 2024 USA Women's U17 National Team.