Lindsay Gottlieb and the USC Trojans women’s basketball program have officially offered a spot to Kaleena Smith, the top-ranked recruit in the Class of 2027. Smith, who stands at 5-foot-5 and plays point guard, attends Ontario Christian High School in California. She has received offers from other top programs such as Louisville, UConn, UCLA, LSU, and South Carolina.
Smith’s talent and skills have not gone unnoticed, as she was selected to play for the USA Basketball U-17 National Team. In addition to playing for the national team, Smith will also be joining Overtime Select, a new women’s basketball league for top recruits, starting this August. In the previous season, Smith averaged an impressive 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
The recruitment of Smith highlights the rising status of the USC Trojans women’s basketball program, led by head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. With players like JuJu Watkins transforming the identity of the team, the Trojans are now considered a powerhouse in women’s college basketball. They have Final Four expectations and a bright future filled with high-end talent. USC is expected to be a top-two seed in the Women’s NCAA Tournament regularly, competing for championship titles in the sport.
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