Kaleena Smith, a 16-year-old African American teen athlete from Ontario, California, has made history as the first high school women’s basketball player to sign a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Adidas. She is also the first signee under Candace Parker, who became president of Adidas women’s basketball in May.

Kaleena, a 5-foot-6 sophomore point guard at Ontario Christian High School, is the highest-rated recruit in the class of 2027 and was named National Freshman of the Year by MaxPreps. She’s already received nearly 20 college offers, including from top programs like UCLA, USC, UConn, LSU, and Louisville.

This new partnership with Adidas makes Kaleena one of the youngest athletes to sign with the brand. Parker, a three-time WNBA champion and seven-time All-Star, sees the deal as an important step in evolving women’s basketball at Adidas and increasing representation in the sport.

“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 will represent Adidas on the court with her high school and AAU team. She expressed excitement about working with the brand and praised Parker’s leadership, saying, “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.”