After Kim Mulkey’s LSU, 5-star Kaleena Smith expresses gratitude for offer from Larry Vickers’ Auburn

Class of 2027 recruit, Kaleena Smith, has offers from Geno Auriemma, Kim Mulkey, Cori Close, and other big names. The highly rated prospect gets a major addition to the list as Larry Vickers of the Auburn Tigers has reportedly extended her an offer. Vickers joined the program this offseason after a three-year stint with Norfolk State's men's basketball program.

Smith showcased her appreciation for the coach's gesture through an Instagram post on Thursday.

"After having a great conversation with @coach_lv , I am very blessed to say that I have recieved an offer from Auburn!! Thank you to the coaching staff for believing in me!🧡 #gowareagles #allglorytogod #Godschild #sec," she captioned the post.

Like stars like Paige Bueckers and Hailey Van Lith, Kaleena Smith was spotted early during her basketball career. She was in the spotlight as an eight-year-old owing to coverage by USA Today.

Four years later, she received her first college offer from California Baptist. UCLA, UConn, USC and other top schools followed suit before her freshman high school year.

According to ESPN HoopGurlz, 6-foot-2 is the average height for the No. 1 prospect in the nation. With that, Kaleena Smith is the only top player to be shorter than 5-foot-10 in the last 20 years. However, she uses her height as a motivation.

"I'm just trying to prove people wrong, a lot of people see my height and say, 'Oh, she's too small, she won't make it to college. She already hit her ceiling.'" Smith shared with The Next.

"So really just having that mindset around proving people wrong. Whether it's scoring or getting (teammates) involved - I feel like I’m different from everyone else."

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Kaleena Smith is the first girls' high school player to have a NIL deal with Adidas

In November, Adidas signed Kaleena Smith to a NIL deal, making her the first girls high school player on the brand's roster. The California native was brought on board after former WNBA champion Candace Parker took over as the company's president of women’s basketball.

"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.

Kaleena Smith is coming off a stellar sophomore year, leading Ontario Christian to a Southern Section Open Division title behind a 30-2 record. She averaged 23.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.5 steals.