Rodney Jr. Smith, NaLyssa Smith’s brother, was reared alongside her and used to play soccer at the University of Saint Mary.
NaLyssa was a senior at East Central High School in San Antonio, where he averaged 23.4 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game.
NaLyssa, a five-star prospect and ESPN’s No. 3 recruit, chose Baylor over schools like South Carolina, Ohio State, and Louisville to play collegiate basketball.
In her sophomore year, She was upgraded to the starting lineup and improved her numbers, averaging 14.3 points and eight rebounds on her way to first-team All-Big 12 honors. Smith also had 11 double-doubles to lead the Lady Bears.
She kept improving, averaging almost a double-double and was named Big 12 Player of the Year.
She scored 24 points in the NCAA Tournament for the Lady Bears against Michigan in the Sweet Sixteen, tying a tournament record with 11 field goals made without missing.
