Kaylene Smikle is making an impressive impact in her first season with the Maryland Terrapins. She is currently leading the eighth-ranked team in scoring, and they remain undefeated in the season. Recently, she celebrated a significant personal achievement by reaching the milestone of 1,000 career points.
Smikle accomplished this feat during a convincing 107-57 win against William & Mary on Thursday, where she scored 14 of her total 21 points in the first half. This milestone was reached after she only needed 11 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark. “I think it’s just a blessing,” Smikle expressed. “It’s a blessing to be here; it’s a blessing to accomplish this one milestone here at Maryland.”
Alongside Smikle, three other Terrapins have also reached the 1,000-point mark. Shyanne Sellers has spent her entire college career with Maryland, while Allie Kubek is in her second season after previously playing two years at Towson. Sarah Te-Biasu joined the team from Virginia Commonwealth this season.
The Maryland team had an unusual previous season, experiencing struggles that led to an early exit in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed. However, they have since revamped their roster and have performed excellently, achieving an impressive 11-0 record so far in the 2024-25 season.
Smikle, who averaged over 16 points per game during her tenure at Rutgers, is currently averaging 17.7 points for the Terrapins. She reached her 1,000th point with a three-pointer that extended Maryland’s lead to 44-21 during the second quarter, contributing to a significant 21-2 scoring run that broke open what had been a tightly contested game.
“It feels like it just made the accomplishment better being in such a great program, with people around me who genuinely care for me and want to push me every day and want to help me grow,” Smikle shared, reflecting on her experience with the team.
With their next game scheduled against No. 15 Michigan State on December 29, the Terrapins have a break before this exciting matchup, which could feature two undefeated teams.