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Bulldogs ink women's basketball high school standouts on signing day

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk11/12/25RobbieFaulkOn3
lani smallwood
Mississippi State commitment Lani Smallwood

A long basketball journey to get to the next level has paid off for two future Mississippi State players as signing day has come for both Lani Smallwood and Andrea Flores.

The duo signed with the Bulldogs on Wednesday as the only two signees expected in the class of 2026 for head coach Sam Purcell. Both bring a scoring prowess to Starkville but will also be able to help State in multiple ways next season.

Smallwood was the first pickup of the class for Purcell just over a year ago. That was before she helped spark a major turnaround at Albertville High School playing for her mother, Natasha.

“Lani has been exceptional leader and competitor for her teams over the years. Her work ethic and dedication to this sport is a testament of her character,” Natasha said in a school release. “As her mom, I have had a front row seat to every practice, big win, disappointment and struggle since she picked up her first basketball. This moment is the culmination of years of sacrifice, hard work and unwavering determination and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I can’t wait to watch her continue her journey at Mississippi State.”  

As a junior, Smallwood transferred over to Class 7A Albertville from 3A Susan Moore as Natasha took over as the new head coach. A season after Albertville was 5-19, the Smallwood’s won an Area championship, finished 29-4 and advanced all the way to the Elite 8 where they lost to eventual state champion Hoover.

During the season, Smallwood became one of the top players in the state as she averaged 23.0 points, 9-1, rebounds, 3.9 steals, and 2.7 assists per game. The school-record in wins was the most important thing to her and now she’s ready to do it again.

“It was really fulfilling. Even after that loss, I just felt fulfilled and we gave it our absolute best,” Smallwood told Maroon and White Daily. “We did something historic that the school had never seen. It was a lot of fun and we built such a great team from the ground up.

“The beginning of the season had a little bit of pressure. Once I got used to it and we got into the season, I felt like me again. I’ve always been an underdog and I’ve never really had that spotlight so I played with a chip on my shoulder all year.”

Smallwood has jumped all the way up to No. 65 nationally by the Rivals Industry rankings and is the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama.

Also signing on Wednesday was Flores as she makes the move down from Johnson City, Tenn., to Starkville next season. The Daniel Boone High School shooting guard committed to State last summer and was ranked as a three-star by 247Sports.

“Andrea Flores is one of the best pure shooters in the country,” Kentucky Premier Director David Tapley said in a school release. “She is a big guard who will help with rebounding. She is very physical and can stretch the floor while being able to guard most wings or stretch forwards. Andrea is a great kid and teammate off the floor, which equates to great culture for the Mississippi State program.”

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