The Post Game Podcast #91 - Kianna Smith: Beyond the Court - Building the Next Chapter After the WNBA
Kianna Smith is a former college basketball player at Cal and Louisville, drafted 16th overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the LA Sparks. She played a few years overseas in the Korean Women's Basketball League.
She talks about what it really takes to reinvent yourself after sports, NIL opportunities in college, to navigating injuries that cut her professional career short.
Timestamps:
(0:00) – Intro to Kianna
(2:10) – Kianna’s basketball journey
(3:50) – Playing in a Final Four with Louisville
(4:15) – WNBA Draft and career highlights
(5:20) – Handling pressure in big moments
(8:10) – The talent level in today’s WNBA
(9:55) – NIL and retroactive athlete pay
(11:20) – Looking back on her WNBA career
(13:20) – Transitioning out of basketball
(17:25) – Trying coaching & new paths
(18:55) – Landing a job at Nike
(21:10) – Career support for athletes post-WNBA
(22:25) – Building Society & Co. for athlete creators
(26:10) – Transferring sports skills to the corporate world
(28:55) – Kianna’s advice to young athletes
(31:25) – Where to find Kianna
Links:
Kianna Smith (@kismith14) • Instagram photos and videos
The Post Game Podcast:
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The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X
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Email me: joe.poduslenko@gmail.com