By SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Former Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball standout Kiki Smith, a key figure in one of the most dominant seasons in NJCAA history, will be inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 30, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Smith, who helped lead Hutchinson Community College to a perfect 37-0 record and the 2023 NJCAA Division I national championship, will be honored as a member of the NAIAHF Class of 2026 during the organization’s banquet weekend at the Oneida Hotel and Conference Center.
The Topeka native and daughter to Darold Smith and Harmony Burgess-Smith, developed her love for basketball at an early age and carried that passion to Topeka High School, where she became one of the most decorated players in program history. She was a four-time Class 6A all-state selection, earning three first-team honors, and was named Centennial League player of the year after averaging more than 20 points per game in both her junior and senior seasons.
Despite her accolades, Smith was lightly recruited out of high school and arrived at Hutchinson Community College with something to prove. In one season with the Blue Dragons, she averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. Her 82 made 3-pointers set a single-season school record.
Smith’s impact was reflected in the postseason honors that followed. She was named the NJCAA Division I Player of the Year, a first-team NJCAA All-American and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Player of the Year, capping one of the most complete individual seasons in Blue Dragon history.
Following her national title run at Hutchinson, Smith transferred to Arkansas, where she averaged 10.2 points per game during her sophomore season and ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in 3-point shooting at 40.6 percent, placing her among the nation’s top shooters.
She is currently playing at Purdue, where she quickly emerged as a leading scorer for the Boilermakers and established herself as one of the Big Ten Conference’s top 3-point shooters and distributors. Through 17 games and 13 starts with Purdue, Smith is averaging 10.5 points per game on 36 percent shooting from deep.
A proud member of the Comanche Nation, Smith played for Legendary Elite on the Native Basketball Circuit during her prep career and remains active in the organization, speaking with youth players about pursuing college athletics. She is a Yellowfish descendant and also has Kiowa, Cheyenne, Absentee Shawnee and Caddo heritage.
The NAIAHF induction weekend will include cultural ceremonies, musical performances and formal recognition of inductees. Other members of the Class of 2026 include brothers ZA and G McIntosh and the mother-and-son duo of Trina and Breas Ross.