Class of 2025 guard Shayla Smith has committed to Penn State women’s basketball, she announced Monday. Smith became the first member of her recruiting class to commit to the Lady Lions.

Smith hails from Audenried Charter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she recorded 25.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game last season, per MaxPreps. The rising senior was also named the 2023-24 MaxPreps Pennsylvania High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Standing at 5’10,” Smith most recently led Audenried Charter to the Pennsylvania 4A championship game.

During her sophomore season, Smith became the fastest player in her league to reach 1,000 career points, besting the record set by Dawn Staley, now the head coach of South Carolina’s women’s basketball program. According to her MaxPreps profile, Smith has totaled over 1,800 career points through three seasons of high school basketball.

To see some of what Smith can bring to Penn State, check out a highlight reel here.

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Joe Lister

Joe, shockingly, was Onward State's managing editor from 2024-25. It was an honor. He's off employed doing journalism things, hopefully. If you want to complain about anything he's ever written, you can find him on Twitter (iamjoelister), email ([email protected]), or Signal (iamjoelister.93).

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