After a tumultuous freshman season with Rutgers, highly-touted guard Kiyomi McMiller has found a new home in a familiar league.
The Maryland native is transferring to Penn State, she announced on Monday.
A five-star guard in the 2025 class, McMiller averaged 18.7 points per game and scored 30-plus points on three occasions, garnering Big Ten Honorable Mention (Media) accolades. But she left Piscataway after a year riddled with controversy.
“Kiyomi and I met not too long ago and we talked about the goals that we have for this program. Her individual goals, and all that,” head coach Coquese Washington said after Rutgers’ WNIT win over Charleston on March 27 — the same day news broke of McMiller’s portal decision.
“It was very clear during that conversation that the best thing for both sides is that we kind of make a change in direction.”
She last competed for the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 6 against Indiana — a month after she made headlines by being suspended for Rutgers’ home game against powerhouse USC and JuJu Watkins.
She broke the news of her gameday status in an Instagram post, making it known that the decision to not play against the Trojans on Jan. 5 belonged to her head coach.
McMiller also missed the following game despite practicing and traveling with the team to Minnesota.
She returned to the starting lineup on Jan. 12 against Nebraska and netted a career-high 33 points.
“It was resolved the same way it was when a week ago I said it was an internal matter,” Washington said after McMiller’s return. “I don’t have any additional insight for you all because it’s an internal matter that we handled internally and moved past it, moved on and moved forward. That’s all I have to say on that.”
McMiller then competed in the next six games before missing the remainder of the season.
She previously went viral in December for pulling off a crossover move that Allen Iverson made famous during a win over Wagner.
In 2023, she became the first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with Jordan Brand.
McMiller signed with Rutgers after spending the last two seasons of her high school career at Life Center Academy in Burlington. She averaged 30.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, four assists and 2.8 steals as a senior.
Portal losses and additions
McMiller is one of three guards Rutgers lost to the portal, alongside junior Mya Petticord and sophomore Lisa Thompson. Petticord committed to Auburn on Sunday.
They’ll also be without graduate guard JoJo Lacey, leaving Rutgers with a nearly decimated backcourt. She signed with the Washington Mystics on Friday.
The Scarlet Knights recently signed Boston College transfer point guard Kaylah Ivey and Stephen F. Austin transfer guard Faith Blackstone.
With the loss of center Chyna Cornwell and senior forward Destiny Adams, Rutgers also signed UNCG junior transfer Yacine N’Diaye, a 6-foot-4 forward.
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