Kaleena Smith, one of the nation's top women's basketball recruits, talks UConn, JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo

Class of 2027 point guard Kaleena Smith is considered the best high school player in the nation regardless of class, which is not too surprising when looking at her work ethic. She will often stay on the court after practice and is constantly looking for ways to improve her game.

"My parents have instilled in me that enough work is never enough," she told CBS Sports. "Just making sure that I perfect my craft as much as I can."

She just started her junior year at Ontario Christian in Ontario, CA, but 247Sports Director of Women's Basketball Scouting Brandon Clay already predicts she will have a successful college career.

"It doesn't matter the location, opponent or scenario, Smith always rises to the occasion, putting on a show in the process," Clay said. "Smith's ability to make plays and dictate the pace cannot be overstated… Her poise and presence are at a different level than her peers. Smith can play out of the pick-and-roll action in a way that will be a separator for her at the collegiate level."

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Smith has piqued the interest of some of the top women's basketball programs in the nation, including UConn, South Carolina, USC, UCLA, LSU and Notre Dame. She visited the 2024 national champion Huskies in January and met the whole team, including Azzi Fudd and now Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers. She liked coach Geno Auriemma and was impressed by how he runs the program. 

"He's for sure cool. The campus is great," Smith said. "Just the way that they practiced was great. It was a great visit for sure."

She also met the entire rosters of USC and UCLA when she visited the Los Angeles schools. Before even stepping onto the USC campus, Smith had already formed a close relationship with Trojans star JuJu Watkins, whom she met through Sports Academy Swish GBL.

"She's cool. I've known her since I was younger," Smith said. "We've been following each other, so that's like my big sis for sure… I've been cool with her parents and her."

Smith has a bit of the swagger Watkins is known for, but the college player she enjoys watching the most is Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo.

"I feel like we have a similar game, and just the way that she always is on 100," Smith explained. "I feel like that's something that I wanna input into my game."

Smith is undoubtedly a tough competitor, but she also has a playful side. She recently participated in the second season of Overtime Select, and those who interacted with Smith talked about her laidback personality off the court. 

"Kaleena is actually really cool," Jenica Lewis, a Class of 2026 shooting guard, said. "Like, she really does care for everyone, and she's really funny. She makes up nicknames for everybody. She actually takes time to get to know each and every person. Honestly, just a really great friend and even better person on the basketball court."

Smith smiled when the subject of nicknames came up.

"I'm just like a very fun, chill person, so I'll do it to make them mad," Smith laughed, "And then be like, 'It's just whatever, that's what I call you.'" 

Her own moniker is "Special K" -- a play on the first letter in her first name. Kellogg's recently sent her a box of their Special K cereal as a little nod of approval.

When she is not playing basketball, Smith likes to experiment with new cooking recipes she sees online. The most recent thing she whipped up in the kitchen was macaroni and cheese and hot honey sliders. Not everything works out the first time, though, as she learned with the mac and cheese because she accidentally overcooked it. She also confidently shared her tips for achieving the right consistency with the cheese. 

"I will say that for the sauce, it's about making sure that the heat is not high," she explained. "Having a low temperature and making sure that you whisk everything as you are putting it in."

Another interesting fact about her is that she has a sweet tooth but understands that, as an athlete, she has to limit herself. Red licorice is her favorite.

Although the 16-year-old Smith has "normal" moments, she is not exactly living a normal teenage life. However, her parents help take the load off of her by dealing with most things outside of basketball and schoolwork. Smith still has two more years of high school remaining, but she is already attracting a lot of attention on the national recruiting scene. Regardless, Smith is trying her best to enjoy her current situation and not stress too much about the future.

"It's a big decision," she said about her recruitment. "It's the next four years, very important for sure, of my life. I want to go pro, so I have to pick the right school, the right family that I feel can take me to the next level."