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Congratulations are in order for Kaleena Smith. The talented 16-year-old has become the first high school female athlete to sign an NIL deal the athletic wear giant, Adidas.
The German company shared the news in a joint post on Instagram with Smith, captioning the carousel of images, “Welcome Kaleena Smith to the adidas Basketball family.”
Smith, a sophomore from Ontario, California, is the top-ranked recruit in the class of 2027. The 5’6″ point guard has already received nearly 20 college offers from programs including: the University of Southern California, the University of Louisville, the University of Connecticut, the University of California, Los Angeles, Louisiana State University and the University of South Carolina.
It is no wonder that Smith was Candace Parker’s first signing when she took over as president of Adidas women’s basketball in May.
“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,” Parker said in a recent interview.
“I’m blessed to be part of something Candace is creating, and to get to do that with a brand like Adidas who is taking a different approach to play a role to help grow the game for players like me,” Smith added.
In addition to signing with Adidas, Smith has also signed with CAA Sports for NIL representation. Smith took to Instagram, sharing the exciting news.
“It brings me great joy to announce that I have signed with CAA Sports for NIL representation,” she began the caption on her announcement post. “It is an honor to be a part of a family with such an amazing staff and some of the most notable stars of men and women’s basketball. I am thankful to God and my family for guiding me through this process and supporting me to this point. @caa_basketball let’s work!!! #godschild,” she concluded.
Congratulations, Kaleena! We cannot wait to see more of you in the spotlight and on the court!
Photo: Adidas Instagram