Malia Smith
Malia Smith of Snohomish, Washington, competes at the 2020 Check Me Out Seattle Showcase. *Photo by Calvin Koo.
Malia Smith, the 5-foot-5 guard from Snohomish, Washington, gave her verbal commitment to Tarleton State University. The senior has been a big part of a Glacier Peak High School team that has been one of the top programs in Washington’s biggest classification for years.
Smith is one of the premier spot shooters in the country regardless of class. In that way, she still has a major upside that will be reached as she gets stronger and more explosive with college training program. Smith has shown that she's capable of making a bucket against a man defense using pin down screen action or as the recipient of penetrate and kick play. Tarleton State coach Misty Wilson will be able to utilize Smith in multiple ways.
Smith is the third player to commit to the Texans in the 2021 class. She joins Mason Jones of Panhandle, Texas, and Crystal Smith of Houston, Texas. Jones is a 5-11 guard with length and range and Crystal Smith is shifty combo guard with good touch. Smith can add her sharpshooting ability to complement this group well as it moves fully into the Western Athletic Conference.
Chris Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and serves on the McDonald’s All-American and Naismith Trophy selection committees. He was a co-founder of and the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012 and is the director of the Check Me Out Showcase and ELITE is EARNED events. He can be reached at chris@prospectsnation.com.
Brandon Clay serves as the Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The BrandonClayScouting.com Evaluation Report, which is read by more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide. He also serves as the Executive Skills Director for the Brandon Clay Scouting Academy Series.
