Kaleena Smith is poised to be a basketball phenom.
adidas announced the signing of Smith, the Class of 2027 superstar, as its first high school women’s basketball NIL partner. She is also the first signing of Candace Parker, the President of adidas Women’s Basketball.
According to the news release, “Kaleena joins a strong sisterhood of NIL and professional athletes united in pushing the women’s game further and leaving it in a better place for the next generation of young hoopers.”
In a statement, Parker expressed her excitement about the historic partnership.
“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,” said Parker. “Signing Kaleena as our first high school NIL women’s basketball athlete. It’s a pivotal moment for us as we lead in championing women’s sports. We want to build greater access to and representation in the game that we all love.”
“The future of women’s basketball, it’s clear it’s in good hands with hoopers like Kaleena,” Parker said. We couldn’t be prouder to welcome her to the sisterhood of talented women who make up adidas Women’s Basketball.”
“I embrace any opportunity to challenge myself and improve my game, and I believe that’s what has fostered the confidence and skill I have on the court,” said Smith. “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. Plus, I’m really excited to get to rock the Harden sneakers this season.”
Last year, Smith was the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year. She averaged 34.9 points, 6.5 assists and 4.2 steals per game. She will represent adidas with her high school and AAU teams.
Adidas has been making major noise in the NIL space. The brand has signed Miami quarterback Cam Ward and six Texas Tech athletes as part of Patrick Mahomes’ NIL initiative. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, adidas also signed 15 female student-athletes to NIL deals in July 2022.
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