The Washington Huskies hosted the nation’s top-ranked prospect in the 2027 class, Kaleena Smith, for her first of 11 total official visits scheduled over the next four months.
A 5-foot-6 point guard for Ontario Christian in Ontario, California, was reportedly scheduled to make the trip north to the Emerald City on July 31 but shared photos to her personal Instagram account from her visit on August 24.
The five-star prospect included photos with nearly the entire UW 2026-27 women’s basketball team, her family and Huskies’ sixth-year coach Tina Langley.
Smith, who also became adidas’ first high school
Smith, who also became adidas’ first high school women’s basketball NIL partner in November 2024, also has official visits scheduled to Baylor (Aug. 28), Oklahoma (September 4), Georgia (Sept. 11), Tennessee (Sept. 25), Arizona State (October 9), Miami (Oct. 16), USC (Oct. 23), UCLA (Oct. 30), Connecticut (Nov. 6) and Texas A&M (Nov. 13) over the next four months with potentially more added.
“Her ability to pick her spots to score or distribute does not go unnoticed by her teammates,” 247Sports’ women’s basketball director of scouting Brandon Clay wrote in an evaluation of the star guard in 2025. “Smith does a good job of keeping them involved throughout the course of the game. That’s not the easiest task for a Point Guard who scores the basketball the way that Smith does. She has legitimate shooting range out past the 25-foot mark.”
As a junior, Smith averaged 31.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game over a career-high 35 games for Ontario Christian. In each of her three varsity seasons for the Southern California high school, Smith has finished averaging at least 22 points and six assists per game as the five-star recruit has made 100 total appearances going into her senior season.
Whether it proves to be a deciding factor
Whether it proves to be a deciding factor or not, being an adidas school can only help UW when it comes to trying to secure Smith’s talents. Candace Parker, a two-time NCAA champion at Tennessee and three-time WNBA champ who became adidas’ president of women’s basketball, spoke highly of the California native when she signed Smith to become an adidas partner.
“When I think about the future of women’s basketball, it’s clear it’s in good hands with hoopers like Kaleena,” Parker said in a press release. “Not only is she a tenacious competitor on the court, she’s also someone who understands what’s required off it and is committed to putting in the work. We couldn’t be prouder to welcome her to the sisterhood of talented women who make up adidas Women’s Basketball.”
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire:Top-Ranked Women’s Hoops Recruit Makes Official Visit to Washington
Source: sports.yahoo.com
