COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Basketball head coach Robin Pingeton announced the signing of two elite prospects Wednesday, as Jayla Kelly and Sara-Rose Smith each signed national letters of intent and will continue their athletic and academic careers at the University of Missouri. Kelly is rated as a four-star recruit by ESPNW, while Smith boasts Australian national team experience.
"We couldn’t be more excited to have Jayla and Sara-Rose joining our family,” said Pingeton. “They are not only talented players, but are high character individuals who we know will be a great addition to our program. We know the future is bright for both of them, and we are so grateful that they chose to come be a part of what we’re building at Mizzou."
Kelly, a 6-3 center from Chesterfield, Mo., is the No. 79 overall recruit in the Class of 2020 by ESPNW, and the No. 2 player in Missouri. As a junior at Parkway Central High School, Kelly led her team to a 24-7 record and a third-place finish while averaging 12.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. A top-10 ranked post player nationally, Kelly played for Missouri Phenom in the Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL, and chose Mizzou over SLU, Purdue, Northwestern, TCU and Missouri State.
“Mizzou gives me a sense of home,” said Kelly. “I feel that within this culture, I can pursue excellence on and off the court. I’m more than excited to sign with the Tigers.”
Smith, a 6-1 guard from Australia, will make the trip overseas to join fellow Aussie Shannon Dufficy on the court next season. Smith joins Mizzou after an impressive prep career, as she was a member of the Australian’s selection camp roster for the FIBA U19 World Cup and captured bronze at the 2018 Youth Olympics playing for Australian’s 3-on-3 national team. Smith also played for a Victoria Metro team that won a gold medal at the 2018 U18 Australian Junior Championships, averaging 9.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, as well as two seasons for Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence in the NBL1 league, averaging 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in the elite conference.
“I am so excited to be given the opportunity to begin the next chapter of my academic and basketball career at Mizzou,” said Smith. “Coach Pingeton, the coaching staff and the team at Mizzou made me feel at home from the moment I stepped on campus, and the energy and buzz around the team was something I cannot wait to be a part of. I am super proud to be able to call myself a Tiger.”
--- MU Athletics ---