Penn State prospect wants to make history as first WNBA player to wear hijab

Shayla Smith has yet to step foot on a college basketball court, but the 17-year-old phenom already has her sights set on making history in the WNBA .

During four dominant years at Universal Audenried Charter School, Smith has achieved no shortage of success en route to cementing herself as a Philadelphia basketball legend.

Last month, she made history by scoring more than 2,500 career points and shattering the all-time record for most career points scored by a girl in Philadelphia high school history.

Speaking to WHYY on March 7, Smith conceded that the weight of the incredible accomplishment has still not sunk in.

I don't think I've processed it yet, honestly, she said.

I'm just focused on winning the city championship and the state championship, and then after that my team will probably start celebrating and all that.

Then it's really gonna hit me like dang, I'm really a Philly legend.

Following Smiths final two high school games in Universal Audenried Charter Schools third consecutive public league championship and first city championship, the senior guard will be heading to Penn State , where she committed to in the fall.

Her focus, however, is already centered on playing at the professional level.

I want to go to the WNBA.

I want to be the first woman in the WNBA that wears the hijab, she declared.

An observant Muslim, Smith wears a hijab while on the court for every game.

In wearing the head covering, she hopes to be a role model for other athletes who practice the religion.

It doesn't matter who you are, your race, color.

None of that matters, she said.

Basketball should be somewhere where everybody is like a family, so you should look past all of that.

Some people - their parents - think that you can't play basketball if you're Muslim.

I definitely have people text me sometimes and be like, Do you got any advice? So yeah, it feels good to be a role model.

Smiths rise to one of the most dominant high school basketball players in Philadelphia is all the more impressive considering she didnt start taking it serious until eighth grade.

Growing up, the multisport athlete often competed in a wide range of athletic activities with her older brother and boys in the neighborhood.

I realized I was good when I started playing against girls, because I grew up playing against boys all the time at the park and the playground, she said.

I was good, but it wasn't until I started playing against girls that I'm like, Yo this is really easy.

I don't think there's any girl that can [stop me].

While Smith now has immense confidence in her abilities, she admitted that it took some time before getting comfortable in basketball.

I was always confident to an extent, but it had to develop to be able to take the difficult shots that I do take, Smith said..

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