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by Stacy Jackson
March 27, 2025
Wearing the hijab is an important part of Smith’s uniform and she’s ready to take her Islamic garment all the way to the WNBA.
High school basketball standout Shayla Smith is looking to take representation to another level in women’s basketball, hoping to become the first woman in the WNBA to wear a hijab.
The Penn State commit is fresh off of a successful season with Universal Audenried Charter School’s women’s basketball team in Philadelphia. However, the 5-foot-10 guard is not your average public school basketball star. Smith is unshakeable when it comes to representing her Muslim community on the court, which is why wearing her hijab is a significant part of her uniform. The 17-year-old has already garnered massive attention on social media for sporting the Islamic garment during the season. “They’ll be in the comments like: ‘Oh, you can play basketball in that?’ ‘They’re going to make you take that off!‘” Smith told CBS Sports, but her passion for representing her religion prevails over the critics.
“I want to be the first woman in the WNBA that wears the hijab,” said Smith. “I started wearing the hijab when I was like 6 … to me, it’s normal.” The Philly athlete said there are a lot of girls who play basketball with the hijab on in the city. According to Whyy, the city is home to one of the largest Black Muslim populations.
Smith scored over 800 points this season and became Philadelphia’s all-time scoring leader in high school girls basketball history with over 2,500 career points. Her average of over 28 points a game helped lead Universal Audenried Charter to their league championship and landed the school a city title.
As Smith heads off to Penn State to begin her college basketball career, she is grateful to be a part of a program that wants her. “Penn State just felt like home,” she said. “Out of all the schools that recruited me, they felt like the one who wanted me the most.” Penn State assistant coach Sean Blair was captivated by Smith’s skills from the moment he watched her play in her ninth-grade year. “I love players that are great at a specific thing, and she’s just such a natural scorer,” said Blair. “You know, if you’re gonna make a trip to watch her, she’s going to put the ball in the basket and show off her fearless mentality.”
As Smith continues her basketball career, she says she will not be taking her hijab off for anybody.
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