Los Angeles Sparks Select Kianna Smith in Second Round of 2022 WNBA Draft
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Make that two Louisville players to be taken in the 2022 WNBA Draft, as the Los Angeles have selected guard Kianna Smith in the second round with the No. 16 overall pick.
Forward Emily Engstler was taken by the Indiana Fever at No. 4 overall earlier in the evening, making this the fifth WNBA Draft (2009, 2014, 2019, 2020), and third in the last four years where multiple Cardinals have been drafted. Smith is the 16th former Cardinal to ever be drafted.
After having to sit for the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules in place at the time, the 6-foot-0 guard was one of Louisville's top players during her two years as a Cardinal. Smith finished as the team's second-leading scorer during the 2021-22 season, only behind Hailey Van Lith, with 12.0 points per game, and led the Cardinals in assists with 2.7 per game and made threes with 62.
"We've seen her really hit some big shots. I think her jump shot ability is what stands out most, when she's knocking down shots," ESPN women's basketball analyst LaChina Robinson said earlier this week.
"She's also a really good playmaker, sees the floor well, high-level understanding of the game, played some point guard, so I think that helps her in how she approaches just the overall team aspects. But if she's knocking down shots, she's a player that I think could be exciting, especially with her size, as well."
Smith made an immediate impact during her first year on the floor at Louisville, trailing only Dana Evans in scoring during the 2020-21 season with 11.4 points per game. She was also third on the team in assists at 2.2 per game, while also shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent on three-point attempts.
A native of Moreno Valley, Calif., Smith originally began her collegiate career at Cal, where she played a pair of seasons. She started al but one of her 54 total games with the Bears, tallying 600 points and 244 assists, while making two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Louisville had a stellar 2021-22 season, finishing at 29-5 and reaching the Final Four for the fourth time in program history, before falling to the eventual national champion, South Carolina.
(Photo of Kianna Smith: Scott Utterback - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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