Black History Made: Kaleena Becomes First High School Women’s Basketball Player to Sign NIL Deal with Adidas
She’s just a sophomore, and already she’s making moves the whole world is watching.
Kaleena, a 5-foot-6 phenom point guard from Ontario Christian High School in California, is changing the game — literally. The top-ranked recruit in the Class of 2027 has just become the first high school women’s basketball player to sign a NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deal with Adidas. And she’s not even halfway through high school.
With nearly 20 college offers already on the table — including heavy hitters like UCLA, USC, UConn, LSU, and Louisville — Kaleena’s talent on the court is undeniable. But what makes this moment even more monumental is the platform it creates for Black girls and young women in sports, elevating visibility and rewriting the rules of early success.
“This is bigger than basketball,” said one fan on social media. “It’s about representation, legacy, and power.”
The deal is backed by none other than Candace Parker, three-time WNBA champion and a major leader in women’s sports at Adidas.
“Signing Kaleena as our first high school NIL women’s basketball athlete is a pivotal moment for us as we lead in championing women’s sports and building greater access to and representation in the game that we all love,” Parker shared via Because of Them We Can.
As part of the deal, Kaleena will represent Adidas through her high school and AAU team appearances. Her skills are elite, but her confidence and gratitude are just as strong:
“I’m blessed to be part of something Candace is creating,” Kaleena said, “and to get to do that with a brand like Adidas who is taking a different approach to help grow the game for players like me.”
This partnership signals a major shift in how brands are not only identifying top talent early but also how they are investing in women’s sports in real time. It’s a win for Kaleena, a win for Adidas, and a win for every girl watching from the stands, the couch, or the blacktop, dreaming of being next.
We see you, Kaleena. And the world is watching.
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