"No question": Sporting giants Adidas join fans in congratulating sophomore baller Kaleena Smith on nomination for a coveted honor

Ontario Christian sophomore star Kaleena Smith has been nominated for the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year award. In celebration of the achievement, Ontario Christian shared the exciting news on their official Instagram page, and as expected, fans have flooded the post with different messages of congratulations and praise for the rising star.

Sporting giant Adidas, with whom Kaleena signed a record-breaking NIL deal, was also in the comments, joining fans in congratulating the No. 1 ranked class of 2027 star.

"No question," they wrote, stating unequivocally that the nomination was well-deserved and beyond doubt.

Some fans also shared the same sentiment, all stating that the nomination was well-deserved and well-earned:

"Well deserved!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾", one fan said.

"Well earned,' another fan said.

"Well deserved! 🙌🏾🙌🏾✊🏾✊🏾🔥🔥🏀! ! Such a role model I want my G-BABIES to follow!!!!! 🙏🏾," Another fan wrote.

Other fans were just simply congratulating the 16-year-old star:

“Congratulations Kay ♥️,” one fan said

"Congrats @special.kayyy11! Well deserved ♥️🙌🏾," another fan wrote.

"Congratulations," said another.

Some fans were even of the opinion that even as a sophomore, Kaleena was already the best player in the nation:

"Seen it with my 2 eyes 👀!! Best player in the nation," one fan said.

"Very well deserved 👏 no one like her 💯 💯," another wrote.

"No question": Sporting giants Adidas join fans in congratulating sophomore baller Kaleena Smith on nomination for a coveted honor. (Image via Instagram @ochsathletics)

5-foot-6 Kaleena Smith has been very crucial to Ontario Christian's brilliant performance this season. She currently averages 23.3 points, 8.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.7 steals per game. Thanks to her, the Knights are on a 23-1 record, having only lost one game all season.

Sporting Giant Adidas Makes First-Ever High School WBB NIL Partnership With Sophomore Sensation Kaleena Smith

Kaleena Smith's NIL (Name and Likeness) deal with global sporting brand Adidas marks the brand's first-ever high school women's basketball NIL partnership. This deal, being the first of its kind, serves as a game changer for young girls in sports.

According to WNBA legend Candace Parker, who currently serves as President of Adidas Women's Basketball, this deal is an innovative approach to how the brand connects with the best players in the game and also a significant move towards further championing women's sports:

"When I started in my role, I wanted to take an innovative approach in how we connect with the best players in the game and empower them in their pursuit of excellence on and off the court. Signing Kaleena as our first high school NIL women's basketball athlete is a pivotal moment for us as we lead in championing women's sports and building greater access to and representation in the game that we all love."