By Drew Lumpkin
Versatile 6-foot guard Kaylene Smikle eclipsed her 19.1 points per game average in the first 20 minutes against Middle Tennessee. Finishing the game with 30 points and a perfect free-throw percentage, Smikle is starting her Tennessee career right. She was joined in double figures by freshman guard Gabby Minus with 15 and sophomore guard Harissoum Coulibaly with 13.
Coming off major roster turnover, the Lady Vols coaching staff had its sights set on Smikle, an experienced guard who previously played for Rutgers and Maryland, where she averaged 17 points per game at both Big Ten programs. Steadily improving her field-goal percentage, Smikle reached a career best at Maryland, shooting 44% from the field. Her fourth collegiate basketball season ended seven games into the year after a nagging knee injury prompted her to undergo surgery.
For head coach Kim Caldwell, bringing Smikle in as a transfer was a no-brainer. Smikle was ranked No. 14 by ESPN and No. 19 by USA Today in transfer rankings.
“We knew who we were getting in a player, and she still, too, I think, has a really high ceiling,” Caldwell said. “What impresses me so much about her is not her efficiency, not the way she scores the ball, but the way she defends. She pressures the ball. She’s active. She flies around.”
During the Lady Vols’ opener against Duquesne, Smikle scored 31 points, with 17 coming in the first quarter, while shooting 84% from the field. The 31-point mark is the second-highest in a Lady Vols debut. Smikle was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week following her early-season success.
For Smikle, the early-season success is no surprise. She has found a system that emphasizes the best parts of her game.
“Tennessee played in transition, so I’m a transition player, so I guess I flow better easily. But I think I’ve been efficient my entire career,” Smikle said. “I really don’t think it’s a shock that I’m efficient now.”
Smikle played arguably her best game of the season against the Blue Raiders. In her second game above 30 points this season, she was perfect from the free-throw line, as was the rest of the Tennessee roster. It marked her second consecutive week with a perfect free-throw percentage after previously making both attempts against New Haven.
Smikle also finished second in rebounds with five, trailing Gabby Minus, Jada Eads and Naomi White, who each recorded six.
“She shoots the ball very well, and I think she was underrated a little bit in her shooting ability. She has a great shot. She can get to the rim,” Caldwell said. “When she could kind of go on a hot streak offensively, when she continues to find her teammate, she makes the right plays. That’s why she’s efficient.”
Smikle improved her 3-point shooting percentage from her previous two matchups. Against Coppin State and New Haven, Smikle shot 40% and 33%, respectively. Against Middle Tennessee, she improved to 43%, making 3 of 7 attempts.
“She’s not going to be perfect every single night, but this is consistently who she is. She shares the ball. She has good teammates around her. She doesn’t just try to force it,” Caldwell said.
It isn’t just her head coach who speaks highly of her play. Teammate Fatmata Janneh said Smikle has made a significant impact on the team.
“She be in the gym working, and she plays so hard,” Janneh said. “I mean, like, do you know who that is? That’s Kaylene Smikle.”