August 14, 2024
No. 1 sophomore Kaleena Smith is redefining what it means to be a small guard
By Hunter Cruse
‘I feel like I’m different from everyone else’
ATLANTA – At just 5’5 with a 5’4 wingspan, sophomore guard Kaleena Smith defies every expectation for a No. 1-ranked prospect.
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In the last 20 years, no top recruit has been shorter than 5’10, according to ESPN HoopGurlz, with the average standing just under 6’2. Smith uses her height as motivation, pushing past conventional norms.
“I’m just trying to prove people wrong,” Smith told The Next. “A lot of people see my height and say, ‘Oh, she’s too small, she won’t make it to college. She already hit her ceiling.’ So really just having that mindset around proving people wrong, whether it’s scoring or getting [my teammates] involved, I feel like I’m different from everyone else.”
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Smith has been in the national spotlight for years, gaining attention at just eight years old when she went viral after being featured in a USA Today article that referred to her as a ‘basketball prodigy.’ Growing up in Ontario, Calif., she dominated boys’ leagues, sparking the nickname “Special K.”
“When I was younger, I mostly played against boys until I reached high school,” Smith said. “People would call me ‘Special,’ and my nickname was ‘K,’ so my family and my old coach put it together.”
Smith received her first Division I offer from California Baptist when she was around 11 or 12 years old after attending a camp at the school. Since then, she has amassed interest from numerous schools across the country. Smith received offers from UConn, South Carolina, USC, and UCLA — all before her freshman season of high school.
Playing against taller boys and older girls has shaped Smith into a uniquely skilled player with court mapping well beyond her years. At just 15, she competed in the 17U Nike EYBL division this summer for Team Taurasi, where she recorded an impressive 183 assists to just 52 turnovers.
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One of Smith’s favorite players to study is WNBA legend Sue Bird, and it’s easy to see why — they both excel at controlling the game as pick-and-roll operators.
“I’m really just reading the defense, and it depends on how they are guarding me and [the screener],” Smith said on her process out of ball screens. “Usually, they will overplay, so that’s an easy pass, and if it’s not their automatic, I’ll just bring it out, act like I’m passing it somewhere else, and [make an entry pass] into the post.”
From 2007 to 2023, only four players 5’6 or shorter were ranked in the Top 5 of their recruiting class. Of those players, none of their collegiate 3-point attempt rates (the percentage of a player’s shots that come from beyond the arc) were over 50%. In contrast, Smith posted an outstanding 60% 3-point attempt rate in the EYBL in 2024.
At first glance, this might not seem significant, but it forces defenses to adjust their pick-and-roll coverages against Smith. With her shooting volume and range, defenders are forced to go over screens and either blitz or show, making her assist-to-turnover ratio even more notable.
“I like it, especially when a big sets a screen for me,” Smith said on facing aggressive pick-and-roll defensive coverages. “I attack the big’s top foot, so it’s easier to create, and I feel like [with a blitz], that means there are two less players behind me, and it’s 5-on-3 now.”
She added, “Everyone’s eyes are always on me … I just feel like my IQ is at a different level.”
On this possession, this is what happens when Smith faces a center like five-star UCLA commit Sienna Betts, who strictly defends in drop coverage. She’s left 1-on-1 on an island after the screen, uses a step-back to create separation from the defender and self-organizes quickly to knock down the deep 3.
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Additionally, Smith takes a similar approach to former WNBA star point guard Becky Hammon as a driver, using pacing, angles, and ball-handling to set up her floater rather than pure downhill explosion.
“It’s definitely important, especially as a small guard,” Smith said on the value of a floater. “You have to have everything. You have to have the long three, the mid-range, the floater and the passing ability, so I’m really just trying to perfect all aspects of my game. I’m not done; my ceiling is not up, so I still have a lot to improve on in all areas.”
Lauren Park-Lane, a standout 5’2 point guard at Mississippi State and Seton Hall, emphasized the importance of diverse offensive skills for small guards, with the margin of error being incredibly thin.
“Now, I’d say 3-point shooting and being able to finish over bigs,” Park-Lane said about vital skills for small guards. “[Kaleena’s] tough floater over Sienna [Betts] was some crazy stuff.”
At Overtime Select, a new high school women’s basketball league featuring 64 of the nation’s top recruits, the rising sophomore is averaging 19 points and five assists to only one turnover on 50% shooting from two and 35% from three.
“She’s cold,” former WNBA guard Ivory Latta told The Next. “She definitely has a bright future. She has a lot to learn, but the way she sees the game at that age [is impressive].”
As her star continues to rise and her college recruitment process intensifies, Smith finds the most joy in the unique experiences and opportunities basketball brings her.
“[For me], coming to different places, seeing different types of people, and playing in front of college coaches, especially in AAU,” Smith said. “Coming here [to Overtime Select] playing against and with the top girls in every class is a blessing from God. He’s putting me in positions I never thought I would be in.”
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