Opinion Piece Written By: @Sonofajones
Prior to the epic clash between USC & Rutgers WBB it would be announces via social media that freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller would not be playing. Kiyomi, or whomever runs her social media accounts announced that it was a “coaching decision” to not play her. This would leave basketball fans stunned.
Although there has been no official report on why Rutgers WBB Head Coach Coquese Washington made her decision it would stop the “internet” from speculating. Following the blowout loss to USC by 50 points Head Coach Coquese Washington decline to further comment on the issue, and leave matters internally.
Should a player of Kiyomi McMiller caliber ever fully benched? My answer is yes and no. All student athletes need structure, and discipline. The accountability that is learned during organized sports goes beyond college. What caused a player of Kiyomi caliber to be benched? Allegedly, a locker room altercation.
Would an alleged “locker room tussle” be a good enough reason to sit Kiyomi McMiller down? Again yes, and no. Why? If you ever played organized sports the reality is that your nicest, and calmest player is bound to get into a “shoving” match from time to time. When you mix organized sports with youth, competition, and passion things get heated. Asses the severity of the “altercation”. The discipline has to fit the alleged crime.
Where any punches thrown? Was it just a shouting match? Where there any injuries? As nuanced as these questions sound they need to be asked.
Are there better ways to “discipline” your star student athlete without benching them? Simple answer is yes.
What did benching Kiyomi McMiller solve? Let’s look at the pro’s and con’s to this situation.
Pro’s
- Head Coach sends a strong message that Kiyomi McMiller is not above the team.
- It teaches that there are severe consequence to actions
- The players, and future recruits build more trust within the coach.
Con’s
- Rutgers got humiliated by 50 points on national TV.
- This can hurt viewership for future Rutger’s WBB games.
- Kiyomi McMiller can fill alienated by her coach.
- In a current world with NIL, and Transfer portal Kiyomi McMiller could already have her sights on her next team.
Does the cons to this situation out weigh the positives? It slightly does in my opinion. At best you sent a message as the coach. At worse your generational talent has one foot out of New Jersey.
For the internet that thinks no team will want her after this you are sadly mistaken. The reward of having Kiyomi McMiller on your team outweigh the risk of a “locker room tussle”. Lets keep it simple and look at the numbers.
Team Stats (8-7, 0-4): Source: https://scarletknights.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats
| Statistic | Rutgers | Opponents |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring | ||
| Total Points | 1066 | 1037 |
| Points Per Game | 71.1 | 69.1 |
| Scoring Margin | 1.9 | — |
| Shooting | ||
| FG: Made-Attempted | 407-976 | 371-965 |
| FG: Percentage | .417 | .384 |
| FG: Per Game | 27.1 | 24.7 |
| 3PT: Made-Attempted | 83-281 | 93-329 |
| 3PT: Percentage | .295 | .283 |
| 3PT: Per Game | 5.5 | 6.2 |
| FT: Made-Attempted | 169-269 | 202-267 |
| FT: Percentage | .628 | .757 |
| FT: Per Game | 11.3 | 13.5 |
| Rebounding | ||
| Total | 635 | 608 |
| Per Game | 42.3 | 40.5 |
| Margin | 1.8 | — |
| Assists | ||
| Total | 178 | 221 |
| Per Game | 11.9 | 14.7 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Total | 232 | 232 |
| Per Game | 15.5 | 15.5 |
| Margin | 0.0 | — |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Points Off Turnovers | 14.7 | 16.9 |
| Steals | ||
| Total | 115 | 115 |
| Per Game | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Blocks | ||
| Total | 71 | 43 |
| Per Game | 4.7 | 2.9 |
| Attendance | ||
| Total | 28599 | 13344 |
| Per Game | 12-2,383 | 3-4,448 |
Now let’s look at Kiyomi McMiller’s individual stats. McMiller leads the team in field goal percentage as well as 3P, FT, Blocks, Steals
Career Stats
| Stats |
|---|
| 2024-25 |
| GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | 3P% | FT% | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 29.6 | 19.9 | 5.4 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 43.5 | 37.8 | 83.3 | 2.0 |
These stats dis-spells any discussion about Kiyomi McMiller not being bigger than the team. As much as people wont like this statement I’m going to say it. Her production is the team’s engine, transmission, breaks, etc.
McMiller has proven she isn’t some selfish player just looking for her own personal shots. She has proven to be a willing passer and leads the team in assist. There are too many programs that she fits in that make the team instate title contenders. Example what would a back court look like with Kiyomi Miller playing along side of Hannah Hidalgo? Let me save you the trouble. Box office! Instant championship contenders. Teams would get blown out by 60 points.
Well I yapped enough through this “opinion piece”.
Kiyomi McMiller Highlights
Kiyomi McMiller today 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) December 15, 2024
• 24 points
• 10 rebounds
• 6 assists
Rutgers wins! pic.twitter.com/cf7gC5ZvFD
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