Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — As BYU prepares for a senior-night celebration honoring the program's all-time leader in rebounds, Lauren Gustin's contributions to the program will be easy to identify.
Those of the program's other senior are a bit more subtle — but no less important.
Kaylee Smiler will join Gustin on senior night Wednesday as the Cougars host fellow Big 12 newcomer Houston (7 p.m. MST, ESPN+) in the regular-season home finale at the Marriott Center.
But don't think it will be all Gustin's show. The 6-foot forward out of Salem Hills High wouldn't want it to be.
"There's so much I can say about Smiler's game," Gustin said. "When she's off the court, you definitely can feel it. Smiler brings so much to our team, not only leadership on and off the court, but also her intensity every day in practice. She does all the dirty things that nobody wants to do, and she consistently brings us a defensive presence that brings all of us up, too.
"We know we can put Smiler on their top player, and she's goin to lock them down. She's a very selfless player who dedicates all her energy to the game, and we're lucky to have a player like that."
Smiler's contributions to the Cougars (15-14, 5-11 Big 12) often go well beyond the 7.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists or 1.3 steals per game she stuffs in the box score. Usually tasked with defending the top guard on BYU's opponent, the 5-foot-8 sixth-year senior from Hamilton, New Zealand attacks every assignment with intensity.
She's willing to do anything for a program that gave her a new lease on basketball after a coaching change following her fourth year in Provo with two years of eligibility remaining.
Smiler has started 57 of 59 games for head coach Amber Whiting after starting none in 74 games prior to the coach's arrival. That includes the one-game season she had as a freshman in 2018-19, when she redshirted following an injury in a boating accident at Deer Creek Reservoir.
So the defensive dirty work that Whiting's system requires of her? That's the least Smiler can do to repay a coach who gave her a new lease on her basketball career, who let her stay with a program despite limited experience after she explained to Whiting she wanted to stay close to her Latter-day Saint faith and values, near her family that moved to Utah, get engaged to be married, and earn a master's degree in biology.
With all that, it's easy to see why she never even considered entering the transfer portal — and why her coach was eager to build around her as the Cougars embarked on their first season in the Big 12.
"I wasn't an impact player coming straight off my freshman and sophomore years; I didn't really play at all," said Smiler, who averaged just 2.4 minutes per game in her first three full seasons. "I thought this was my chance to be an upperclassmen and get on the court. If I went somewhere else, I would have to prove myself all over again. ... It just seemed like it was silly for me to consider leaving."
All of that considered, Smiler has no regrets sticking with her new coach. Neither does Whiting in keeping the defense-first guard who is a vocal advocate for her faith and her Maori heritage, who leads the New Zealand section at the school's annual luau after becoming the first Division I basketball player in the United States from her corner of Hamilton.
"If you look at how she plays, she is 100% bought in at all times," Whiting said. "You talk about having people's backs; she's the first one to rotate, and she'll pass three people on help-side defense to be there for a teammate. You don't always see it in the stat line, but she has a huge impact across the board."
No one ever questions Smiler's role, or her dedication. That just isn't allowed, Whiting added. Same with Gustin — which is why when it came time to name her captains, Whiting didn't think twice.
Neither did their teammates.
"Those were my two captains last year, and we didn't even have a vote this year," Whiting said. "Because I knew."
