Dalhousie Tigers women's basketball head coach Anna Stammberger is pleased to announce the commitment of Aaliyah Arab-Smith for the 2020-21 season.

A combo guard from Halifax, N.S., Arab-Smith is a member of the King's-Edgehill School Prep girls varsity basketball team. She was a member of TRC Academy women's basketball team for two years, helping them to two Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association second-place finishes before transferring to King's-Edgehill.

The 2016-17 She Got Game Classic MVP, Arab-Smith was also named the Best in the Prep Canada MVP in 2018. A multi-sport athlete, she is the reigning Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation (NSSAF) 100m and 200m provincial champion.

In the classroom, she earned the highest academic standing in grade 11 at King's-Edgehill School. She was also awarded the Miss Hannah Machin Prize as the student with the best academic results and the Miss Barbara S. Briggs Prize for being the student that contributed the most to the academic standards of the school.

"I'm very excited to be a part of this program and study medical sciences to further my goal of becoming a surgeon," says Arab-Smith. I chose Dalhousie because I feel it is the best fit for me; I will be close to my family and will be able to play for my home crowd. I look forward to bringing leadership, talent, and energy to this program."

Arab-Smith will be pursing a major in medical sciences at Dalhousie.

"We're very excited to have Aaliyah join our program," says Stammberger. "Her consistent positive attitude towards hard work, the game and her team will be a welcome addition to the Tigers and serve her well in the transition from high school to U SPORTS. Aaliyah will make an immediate impact on the court and in the classroom with her strong athletic skills and high academic standards."

The Tigers are eager to improve on the 2019-20 season after falling short of the playoffs.