Kansas women’s basketball lands major local recruit S’mya Nichols

Although we’re still several weeks away from the holiday season, it appears the Kansas women’s basketball program has received an early gift.

Head coach Brandon Schneider and staff received the good news on Tuesday that four-star prospect S’mya Nichols had committed to the Jayhawks.

Nichols is a 6-foot guard from nearby Shawnee Mission West High School ranked No. 34 in the class of 2023 by ESPN. She is expected to sign with Kansas during the early signing period which begins Wednesday.

Per ESPN’s rankings, she is the No. 2 prospect in the state of Kansas behind only No. 31-ranked Addyson Brown from Derby High School who is committed to Big 12 foe Iowa State.

According to Nichols’ commitment video on social media, she is a two-time junior NBA world champion who has recovered from two separate ACL injuries.

Assuming she stays healthy, this is a major win for this Kansas program who appears to be building momentum on the recruiting trail following their Second Round NCAA Tournament run a season ago.

In addition to what she can provide on the court, her high-profile commitment could spark other recruits to join her and help the Jayhawks build upon their recent success.

Time will tell what Nichols brings to this team, but for now, her commitment is a really encouraging sign for a program that continues to be on the rise.