Nicole Mullen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Smith went up against some of the toughest competition in the country on Friday at Under Armour’s Elite 24 event, but still made her mark.
Kaleena Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2027, came into high school with a bang this past season, averaging 34.9 points, 6.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 steals per game for Ontario Christian High School in Ontario, California.
Coming in hungry, Smith’s popularity grew nationally with highlight-reel performances, both during the season and on the AAU circuits, leading to her being ranked as the top-rated recruit in the 2027 class.
The 5’5” guard was selected to this weekend’s Under Armour Nect Elite 24 roster, playing alongside 17 other five-star recruits across the 2025, 2026, and 2027 classes in a competitive environment — and she still did her thing.
After not seeing the court during the practices on Thursday, Smith was a big factor in Friday’s scrimmage as a part of “Team Fire” and proved why she may arguably be the best high school basketball player in the nation.
In a sequence of plays, Smith hit a three-pointer, used a hesi-dribble to beat her defender for a shot near the paint, and then managed to save a broken play by finding space and hitting another tough jump shot.
It was a new environment for the rising sophomore, as she played against tough competition, but the five-star remained unfazed, proving to be one of, if not the, best players in attendance on Friday.
What was the guard looking to prove as she hit the court?
“[I wanted to] just really have fun with the game,” Smith said. “Not coming out with a bunch of thoughts in my mind [and] just playing free because it’s the best players in the country. And I still have a lot of time to improve my game and work on the things that I need to work on, so just displaying what I have now and still correcting the things that I have to work on and just having fun.”
“I feel like I did good. I could have made better decisions sometimes, but it happens. But, I feel like, overall, I had a good day performance.”
When watching her play, it seems like the feel for the game just comes smoothly for Smith, who manages to navigate the court at her own pace.
“Letting the game come to me [is a big part of my mindset],” Smith said. “Not rushing anything and not forcing anything either. Like, I’m gonna take great shots. I might take some bad shots, but at the same time, I have more great shots than bad shots. And I’ll also get my teammates involved, too. So I just feel like I’m overall a great point guard and I just let the game come to me.”
The size factor has always been the main criticism for Smith, who stands just 5’5 tall and is the shortest player in attendance at the Under Armour Elite 24.
But, Smith’s size doesn’t faze her style of play, as she finds ways to work around that, which was on display during the scrimmages on Friday.
“[With my size, I’m] just really using what I have to my advantage,” Smith said. I have a smart IQ, I have a good jump shot, and I can pick the defense apart. So, just using that at a high level and using that at a pro level and making that stand out more than my size because I don’t pass the eye test. So just having to stick out in certain ways to stick out to other people.”
She has certainly stuck out over the last 12 months, improving her game to become an all-around player on both sides of the court, which has boosted her to the No. 1 spot in the 2027 class.
“In middle school, I was a scorer, but I didn’t get my teammates involved. So this past year, I worked on getting my teammates involved, and I feel like that’s really helped me of all my games because when I get my teammates involved in, that creates more for me.”
Now, with an arsenal of tricks fully at her disposal, Smith is looking to evolve into more of a vocal leader next year, while continuing to improve her feel of the game and finding her coveted spots on the court.
Overall, it’s been a strong year for the 2027 guard and she more than proved her place on Friday on Day 2 of the Under Armour Elite 24, showcasing that she very well could be the top recruit in high school basketball, regardless of age.
