You can’t mention the Towson women’s basketball team without bringing up star guard Kionna Jeter.
Jeter left her mark in the Towson women’s basketball record books by becoming the third all-time leading scorer in Towson history and leading the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019.
But for Jeter, her accomplishments at Towson only leaves her halfway to the dream she set out to accomplish when she picked up a basketball at 3 years old.
“Honestly, [the] only dreams I’ve had is making the NCAA Tournament and going to the WNBA,” Jeter said on Glenn Clark Radio March 30.
With only the latter dream left to accomplish, Jeter opted to forgo her final year of eligibility with the Tigers and declared for the WNBA Draft, which will take place April 15.
During her time with at Towson (2018-2021), the 5-foot-8 Jeter posted 1,582 points, 478 rebounds and 175 assists. The most memorable moment came during the Tigers’ run to the NCAA Tournament in 2019. Jeter hit the game-winning jumper with 24 seconds left in the CAA conference championship to give Towson its first conference title in program history.
Jeter has another entry in the Tigers record books — she is the only player in program history to earn first-team All-CAA honors every year she was a part of the program.
Now as she moves on to her pursuit of making it to the WNBA, Jeter hopes that her impact with the Tigers will allow for other players to get the same opportunities she received going through the Towson women’s basketball program.
“[Being an ambassador for Towson] is important because now that my time is up, I’m trying to pave the way for people younger than me,” Jeter said. “And I’ve done my time, like I said, and now it’s other people’s time to do what I’ve done.”
Jeter took an unusual route in getting to this point. The 2015 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year went to Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla., after graduating from Spartanburg High School. She averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists during her only year at the junior college level.
When making her jump to Division I, Towson was not an obvious choice for Jeter, but her connection with head coach Diane Richardson was the driving force in her commitment.
“I committed on my visit when I got [up] there and I was looking at [Richardson] like my grandmother,” Jeter said. “I’m big on family. I love my grandmother. So it wasn’t hard for me to connect.”
After starting at the junior college level and then moving on to Towson, Jeter dealt with the coronavirus shutdown of the college basketball season last year. Jeter says her journey helped her prepare to make the next step to the WNBA.
“I know going through this process, it’s going to be tough,” Jeter said, “and I know at times will become challenging and I’ve been there, done that.”
While she is not mentioned in ESPN’s latest mock draft, Jeter believes she has what it takes to be a valuable asset to any WNBA team.
“[I believe] that I’m a great player,” Jeter said. “I have a hard work ethic and I can basically get [teams] anything they want, you know? So I just go out there and score 30 or go out there and score 25 from off the bench, whatever it needs to be.”
For more from Jeter, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Towson Athletics