Yongin Samsung Life Insurance's Kiana Smith, who failed to make special naturalization, suffered a knee injury → Total retirement

Oct 30, 2025

Yongin Samsung Life Insurance's Kiana Smith, who failed to make special naturalization, suffered a knee injury → Total retirement
Photo courtesy=WKBL



Yongin Samsung Life Insurance's Kiana Smith, who failed to make special naturalization, suffered a knee injury → Total retirement
Photo courtesy=WKBL
Yongin Samsung Life Insurance's Kiana Smith, who failed to make special naturalization, suffered a knee injury → Total retirement
Photo courtesy=WKBL
Kiana Smith (Yongin Samsung Life Insurance), a women's professional basketball player who failed to pass the Ministry of Justice's special naturalization screening, announced her retirement in a surprise move.

Yongin Samsung Life Insurance officially announced on the 30th that `Kiana Smith has decided to retire due to a knee injury.' Kiana ruptured her left knee during the December 2022 game. He stayed in the U.S. after the end of last season and did not participate in off-season team training. He entered Korea only two times, the first special naturalization interview of the Ministry of Justice in April and the second interview in August. Kiana, who entered both the first and second interviews without an interpreter, eventually failed to pass the screening. When I couldn't wear the Taegeuk mark, I decided to give up my life in Korea.

Through the club, Kiana said, `I am sorry and upset that I did not meet the expectations of many people who wanted to play for Samsung Life Insurance and play for the Korean national team. I've been fighting every day to overcome my knee injury, but it wasn't just hard work and mindset. Although it is a sad ending to retirement, my time in Korea, my half, will be full of good memories thanks to my fans, teammates, and coaches. Eun-ju (Kiana's Korean name) thanked her.




Born in 1999 to a Korean mother and an American father, Kiana averaged 2.6 points in the WNBA in 2022. He was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Women's Professional Basketball Rookie Draft by Samsung Life Insurance and took the Korean stage. In the WKBL, he recorded 9.1 points-2.6 rebounds-2.1 assists in the 2023-2024 season. He won the Rookie of the Year award, the Six Women award, and the 3-point fieldwork award. Last season, he averaged 13.0 points and played as the ace of Samsung Life. It was also selected as the season's best five. He averaged 11.7 points-3.1 rebounds-3.1 assists over three seasons.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.