Brains. Talent. Blessings.
Vanessa Smart and Haylee Aiden are two SoCal sophomores that epitomize that whole “trifecta.”
Example?
V-Smart, a 5-7 combo guard from Hueneme High, simply puts teams to sleep, averaging 23 points, 7 boards, 7 assists per game on 55% shooting from 3 and the floor this season.
Where did that take her? - winning the ultra prestigious California Wooden Award as a sophomore this year no less.
#Vanessa ain’t no joke
Vanessa “Puts people to sleep,” you say E-Woods? Silly rabbit, she carries a 4.5 gpa, dope 1200 P-SAT scores and has long dreamed of being an Anesthesiologist. What is that you ask? A doctor that puts patients “to sleep!“
Yup, this girl is proud to be part Japanese and Mexican and she’s as sweet off the court as she already is deadly on the hardwood.
Vanessa did her Kobe imitation in the state semi game recently, on a busted shooting index finger no less. She gave Sierra High the 40 ball with 10 straight treys, as her team barely lost.
And guess what? - the opposing fans felt compelled to give her a standing ovation. How often do you see that?
She’s been on my radar since 4th grade, so I’m already knowing about Vanessa and soon the AAU hoop world this summer will be seeing her fosho. Is she all "big headed" about her recent success you may wonder?
No, this soft spoken yet confident youngster says, “I’m honored to have others give me compliments on how I play, but I’m never content with my game.
“There’s always something more I can improve on, like my quickness and my athleticism. I’m just a work in progress.”
Vanessa and Haylee know of each other and respect each other’s games.
I most respect their life goals, just two teenagers that know they will grow together to help the world as adult women.
Me, I also respect them as prospects, them being this Tupac and Dr Dre tandem: soon to be “America’s Most Wanted” rising recruits.
Only sophs, they’re already getting California love from D1 programs from the Big West and Pac-12. There’s no east coast beef because an Ivy League program has already taken notice as well.
These girls take a plethora of AP classes, quietly fill the box score, uplift their team, help lead by example. They’re the epitome of Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” no doubt.
Now let’s not forget the other dope soph here: Haylee “Big Time Rush” Aiden.
Why do I call her that? That’s her fav band and “Meet Me Half-Way” is her fav song. It reminds her to be 50/50 with her teammates on that mission to be successful.
If you get to Haylee’s games as I have, get ready to see a dope forward who is nearly 6-3, has an emerging offense game and an advanced defensive game that features athleticism, intensity, and rebounding prowess.
Her body type and potential remind me of a taller version of Colorado’s Aubrey Knight.
Click here for Erik's Aubrey Knight feature article.
Crazy part about these girls? Aiden’s mom Serena, who often tells me how proud she is of her daughter, is also a pre kinder teacher like Vanessa’s mom Margie is.
What’s the really really crazy part with these girls?
Haylee, who has nearly a 1300 P-SAT score, also dreams of being a doctor like Vanessa does. Hear Haylee explain why, “My mom is always helping little ones and seeing that love for kids has cemented my desire to be a pediatrician.
“I’ll support our future youth and study medicine. I was always afraid to visit the doctor as a child but I’ll make kids enjoy getting treatment when I’m a MD.”
That’s dope Xs 2, these future doctors currently doing surgery on the court in 2018 with a round ball instead of a scalpel, one player at a time.
What has Haylee done to meet her team “half way?”
She’s helped power up her Granada Hills team with her defense. Aiden’s coach Jared Honig raves about his blossoming youngster, “Haylee works so hard and has come so far so quick. When she gets to perfecting some more offensive go-to moves, she’ll be an even more effective player.
“It’s a joy to coach her and she brings everyone’s spirits up by seeing her give 100% at what she does, on and off the court.”
Big words from a talented coach that gets the most from his kids.
How much potential does Haylee have? This girl was been on a tear the last couple of months of the season, helping to beat the sharp Bishop Montgomery and Chaminade teams.
She’s been cleaning the boards with Windex for months, grabbing nearly a half doz rebounding performances of bam 25 here, bam 24 there, 22 etc. She seemed to be everywhere on the glass.
Her defense? Girl went straight at Ribet Academy’s front line of 6-9, 6-3, 6-2 girls who are heading to Pac-12 programs and more than held her own.
Who gets the credit for sparking the hoop love in this girl? Aiden says, “It all started with me playing ball at Mason Park at an early age with my best friend Amanda Olinger of Sierra Canyon. We were age 9 at the time.
“She got me to play with her on the same team back then called “Trouble” and it’s been so fun ever since. Now we’re playing for the Nike AAU Swish team.”
Where did Vanessa Smart’s love for hoop begin?
She says, “Watching my dad play b-ball league games as I was growing up. I always wanted to be out there. My dad Don has done so much to teach me about life; both my parents keep my goals high.
“My dad took the time to show me the fundamentals with attention to rebounding and correcting my shot mechanics to model the game. Doing this all together between a dad and daughter, that means everything to me.
“When I perform well, it’s because of all those that have supported me along the way. I guess I’m just blessed, but thankful, and very exited to be the best I can be in life because I love life. A future in medicine is being able help people like my mom does as a teacher. Life is all about hard work.
“I always dreamed of talking to college coaches and I visualize how to help a basketball program succeed by offering the most I can give to a team of course. It’s all close at hand and I just can’t wait.”
Crazy right? You might be saying, E-Woods, your title of this article was so gas and hyped up. No, it’s like Public Enemy said, Don’t Believe the Hype is a sequel.
These two cool girls who are brainiacs like Einstein compared to me, they make me think that if the Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball had Vanessa’s wet jumper and Haylee’s dope rebounding, he’d get less criticism no doubt.
Maybe these girls will be McDonald’s All Americans their senior year?
Maybe not. But they are really fun to watch. Seeing them is like the first time I saw Rafer “Skip to My Lou” Alston from my Ventura College days. Skip had a SLAM Magazine cover that read, The Best Point Guard You’ve Never Heard Of.
How often do girls prep players get a burner story to celebrate them like that?
Yeah, not often. That’s why I’ve noticed great players like Charisma Osborne, Alexis Tucker, Brooke Demetre, all dope players who I hope to write about and do justice to their game soon, among others female players I hope to encounter this summer.
Girls deserve to have their stories celebrated like I’ve really noticed Mirin Fader do in different publications lately. Simply put, showing appreciation of girls prep hoop is my new big goal.
So clap your hands, clap along with me on this journey to cover girls hoop greatness.
Click and see for yourself on Vanessa’s incredible video below. Let’s not just be witnesses to LeBron’s greatness, let’s watch a girl named Vanessa who can pull up on a dime, splash a 40 footer from 5 different spots a game like Steph Curry.
It’s like Tupac said in his music, “Since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman, and our game from a woman.”
It’s the year of the woman, and that starts with Vanessa Smart and Haylee Aiden.
