Army West Point Athletics
Wednesday, November 11
West Point, N.Y.
6:00 p.m.
Army West Point
vs
George Mason University
November 11, 2026 | Women's Basketball
WEST POINT, NY – Army senior forward Kya Smith doesn't pay attention to statistics.
She'd have to read her bio to know that she was one of only 23 players in women's college basketball to average a double-double for the entire season last year (13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game). Or that she was one of only three players nationally to record multiple 20-point and 20-rebound games during the 2025-26 season (two). Or that she led the Black Knights in rebounds in each of her first three seasons and is in place to lead her team for a fourth time this season (796 career rebounds).
Going into Army's game against Brown, she was poised to become just the 21st player in the storied history of the program to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark.
"I didn't know how far I was away from 1,000 before the game against Brown," said Smith. "During one of the timeouts one of my coaches told me I was three points away. I scored off on a post move (to get to 999 points). Then I knew Coach Katie was running a play for me, which ended up getting me to the line. I was really nervous because I've struggled with free throws in the past, but I'm happy I stepped up and made them."
For Smith, career points 1,000 and 1,001 came with 3:17 remaining in the Black Knights' 81-56 road win over Brown to improve their record to 2-0.
Smith and her teammates look to improve to 3-0 as Army plays host to George Mason Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. in a special Veterans Day game against the Patriots. The mid-week contest at Christl Arena on the Army grounds serves as the team's annual Military Appreciation game.
Smith is on track to become the fourth player in Army women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points and pull down 1,000 career rebounds. She needs 204 rebounds to join Katie Macfarlane (1,941 career points, 1,143 career rebounds, 2000-04), Erin Anthony (1,429 career points, 1,025 career points, 2007-11), and Madison Hovren (1,727 career points, 1,092 career rebounds, 2015-19) as the only four players in Army's 1,000-point and 1,000 rebound club.
Smith's athletic career has been defined by eye-popping numbers.
As a senior at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas, Smith averaged 18.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game as a standout on the basketball court.
As a high school star, she earned All-City, All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors during her career.
But the numbers that Smith is most proud of are her academic grade point averages from both her high school career (4.906) and her academic career at the Army. She was the valedictorian of her graduating class, a member of the Honor Roll and the National Honor Society and named as a National Merit Scholar.
The law and legal studies major has continued her academic success as a student-athlete at West Point as she earned Dean's List honors throughout her academic career and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll honors in 2026.
"I realized I wanted to play basketball in college during my sophomore year," said Smith. "I was strong enough academically to get an academic scholarship within the state of Texas, so I was going to have tremendous opportunities for where I wanted to go to college. However, I loved basketball, and I knew I wanted to keep playing the sport I love in college."
As Smith's statistical numbers continued to rise, so did her recruiting profile. She grew as strong recruit on the court, which expanded her reach of college choices.
That's when the United States Military Academy at West Point came into view as an incredible place for her to continue her studies and excel in the sport of basketball.
"I really didn't know about Army until I began to get recruited," said Smith. "No one in my family is in the Army. While I know West Point is a dream destination for many people, it wasn't on my radar until I really explored the campus and traditions on my recruiting visit. I chose Army because I knew it would be a great opportunity and I would regret it if I missed it."
The oldest of two sisters, Smith knew her selection of Army as her college choice meant moving nearly 2,000 miles away from home. Smith's mom played college basketball, and her dad played football at Eastern New Mexico University.
"My mom was the first person to put a basketball in my hands," said Smith. "She was my youth league coach and has been my inspiration all the way through college. I am also not shy to admit that my little sister will be a better basketball player than me. I feel like I've set the stage, and she's just going to continue to build on it. She'll be a great player."
Despite the distance from Lubbock to West Point and from her family to life as a cadet, she continues to be thrilled every day about the Army as her college choice.
"I feel like the thing that's inspired me the most to be where I am today is definitely my parents and how they pushed me," said Smith. "They were both collegiate athletes, and having them as role models definitely influenced me to work hard and strive to be the best version of myself.
"I'm very happy I am a cadet at Army West Point."
Also thrilled about her college choice is Army head coach Katie Kuester, who is in her second season at West Point.
Smith was already on the Black Knights' roster when Kuester became the head coach to begin the 2025-26 season, and their relationship continues to blossom.
"I knew coming in to Army, with the roster we inherited, the potential was off the charts," said Kuester. "Specifically for Kya, I have always coached post players that can stretch out the floor and open up driving lanes for the guards because of their shooting capability. I had watched Kya's film and knew she had a beautiful shot but didn't always take advantage of her opportunities from the perimeter. I am pretty sure she laughed at me the first time I told her I wanted her to launch threes whenever she was open."
Under Kuester in the last two seasons, Smith has increased her scoring average by six points a game, her rebounding average by three rebounds a game, and her field goal shooting percentage by nearly eight percentage points. She's also made seven 3-point field goals in the last two seasons after making only two in her first two seasons at Army.
"Kya is a force in all ways of the game," said Kuester. "I knew she was capable of double-double numbers night in and night out with the system we utilize."
Smith is averaging a near double-double of 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the first two games of the 2026-27 season. She's shooting .583 from the field and .909 from the free throw line. She's been named to the preseason watch list for the 2027 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. She is the first Black Knight player named on a watch list for the award since it was created in 2020.
While it's not about her statistics, the numbers for Kya Smith certainly continue to add up and have made her one of the top players in the history of the Army women's basketball program.
She'd have to read her bio to know that she was one of only 23 players in women's college basketball to average a double-double for the entire season last year (13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game). Or that she was one of only three players nationally to record multiple 20-point and 20-rebound games during the 2025-26 season (two). Or that she led the Black Knights in rebounds in each of her first three seasons and is in place to lead her team for a fourth time this season (796 career rebounds).
Going into Army's game against Brown, she was poised to become just the 21st player in the storied history of the program to eclipse the 1,000 career point mark.
"I didn't know how far I was away from 1,000 before the game against Brown," said Smith. "During one of the timeouts one of my coaches told me I was three points away. I scored off on a post move (to get to 999 points). Then I knew Coach Katie was running a play for me, which ended up getting me to the line. I was really nervous because I've struggled with free throws in the past, but I'm happy I stepped up and made them."
For Smith, career points 1,000 and 1,001 came with 3:17 remaining in the Black Knights' 81-56 road win over Brown to improve their record to 2-0.
Smith and her teammates look to improve to 3-0 as Army plays host to George Mason Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. in a special Veterans Day game against the Patriots. The mid-week contest at Christl Arena on the Army grounds serves as the team's annual Military Appreciation game.
Smith is on track to become the fourth player in Army women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points and pull down 1,000 career rebounds. She needs 204 rebounds to join Katie Macfarlane (1,941 career points, 1,143 career rebounds, 2000-04), Erin Anthony (1,429 career points, 1,025 career points, 2007-11), and Madison Hovren (1,727 career points, 1,092 career rebounds, 2015-19) as the only four players in Army's 1,000-point and 1,000 rebound club.
Smith's athletic career has been defined by eye-popping numbers.
As a senior at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas, Smith averaged 18.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game as a standout on the basketball court.
As a high school star, she earned All-City, All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors during her career.
But the numbers that Smith is most proud of are her academic grade point averages from both her high school career (4.906) and her academic career at the Army. She was the valedictorian of her graduating class, a member of the Honor Roll and the National Honor Society and named as a National Merit Scholar.
The law and legal studies major has continued her academic success as a student-athlete at West Point as she earned Dean's List honors throughout her academic career and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll honors in 2026.
"I realized I wanted to play basketball in college during my sophomore year," said Smith. "I was strong enough academically to get an academic scholarship within the state of Texas, so I was going to have tremendous opportunities for where I wanted to go to college. However, I loved basketball, and I knew I wanted to keep playing the sport I love in college."
As Smith's statistical numbers continued to rise, so did her recruiting profile. She grew as strong recruit on the court, which expanded her reach of college choices.
That's when the United States Military Academy at West Point came into view as an incredible place for her to continue her studies and excel in the sport of basketball.
"I really didn't know about Army until I began to get recruited," said Smith. "No one in my family is in the Army. While I know West Point is a dream destination for many people, it wasn't on my radar until I really explored the campus and traditions on my recruiting visit. I chose Army because I knew it would be a great opportunity and I would regret it if I missed it."
The oldest of two sisters, Smith knew her selection of Army as her college choice meant moving nearly 2,000 miles away from home. Smith's mom played college basketball, and her dad played football at Eastern New Mexico University.
"My mom was the first person to put a basketball in my hands," said Smith. "She was my youth league coach and has been my inspiration all the way through college. I am also not shy to admit that my little sister will be a better basketball player than me. I feel like I've set the stage, and she's just going to continue to build on it. She'll be a great player."
Despite the distance from Lubbock to West Point and from her family to life as a cadet, she continues to be thrilled every day about the Army as her college choice.
"I feel like the thing that's inspired me the most to be where I am today is definitely my parents and how they pushed me," said Smith. "They were both collegiate athletes, and having them as role models definitely influenced me to work hard and strive to be the best version of myself.
"I'm very happy I am a cadet at Army West Point."
Also thrilled about her college choice is Army head coach Katie Kuester, who is in her second season at West Point.
Smith was already on the Black Knights' roster when Kuester became the head coach to begin the 2025-26 season, and their relationship continues to blossom.
"I knew coming in to Army, with the roster we inherited, the potential was off the charts," said Kuester. "Specifically for Kya, I have always coached post players that can stretch out the floor and open up driving lanes for the guards because of their shooting capability. I had watched Kya's film and knew she had a beautiful shot but didn't always take advantage of her opportunities from the perimeter. I am pretty sure she laughed at me the first time I told her I wanted her to launch threes whenever she was open."
Under Kuester in the last two seasons, Smith has increased her scoring average by six points a game, her rebounding average by three rebounds a game, and her field goal shooting percentage by nearly eight percentage points. She's also made seven 3-point field goals in the last two seasons after making only two in her first two seasons at Army.
"Kya is a force in all ways of the game," said Kuester. "I knew she was capable of double-double numbers night in and night out with the system we utilize."
Smith is averaging a near double-double of 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the first two games of the 2026-27 season. She's shooting .583 from the field and .909 from the free throw line. She's been named to the preseason watch list for the 2027 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. She is the first Black Knight player named on a watch list for the award since it was created in 2020.
While it's not about her statistics, the numbers for Kya Smith certainly continue to add up and have made her one of the top players in the history of the Army women's basketball program.
Players Mentioned
Forward
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