After just one year at Rutgers, former Five-Star Kiyomi McMiller is headed elsewhere.
The true freshman announced on social media today that she will enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility.
McMiller dazzled on the court as a Scarlet Knight, but her short tenure was not without turmoil.
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In 21 games played, McMiller led the Scarlet Knights in points per game (18.7), assists (63 total, three per game), and made 43 three-pointers, tying JoJo Lacey for the team lead. She also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game.
McMiller's season got off to a rocky start in her debut, getting poked in the eye four minutes in against Manhattan. She did not return, finishing with 4 points and a rebound.
She returned the following game against Cornell and nearly had a triple-double, scoring 8 points on 4-for-19 shooting, with six rebounds and a season-high eight assists. McMiller would not finish with less than 10 points in a game for another two months.
After two games where McMiller came off the bench after not playing in the first quarter due to "learning how to be on time," as head coach Coquese Washington said, she returned as Rutgers' starting point guard and worked with Destiny Adams to carry the Scarlet Knights' offense.
Towards the end of the nonconference slate McMiller won back-to-back Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards on December 17th and 23rd, becoming the first Scarlet Knight to do so since 2020. She also earned All-MET Player of the Week and USBWA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week honors on December 17th after back-to-back double-doubles with 30 and 24 points against Fairleigh Dickinson and Wagner.
From there, however, things got a little more rocky.
McMiller struggled with efficiency at the start of Big Ten play, coming to a head on January 2nd against then-No. 8 Maryland. The Silver Spring native had plenty of friends and family in attendance at the Xfinity Center, but Rutgers as a whole was unable to put together enough offense in the game.
McMiller recorded seven turnovers in the first half and scored 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting. She did not play in the game's final 15 minutes, one the Scarlet Knights lost 78-61.
Three days later, Rutgers was set to host then-No. 4 USC and superstar guard JuJu Watkins, with plenty of celebrity faces rumored to be attending. Hours before tipoff, however, McMiller announced on Instagram she would not play, with a message reading:
To My Fans
I would Like to apologize to my fans. I will not be playing in today's game vs USC, which is #4 in the country. This decision was made by my Head Coach Coquese Washington. Thank you for your continued support.
Godbless all of you ~ Kiyomi "The Product" McMiller"
The Scarlet Knights lost 92-42 to the Trojans.
"She's a good player," Watkins said after the game. "I'm always excited to play against good players, so I guess I was a little disappointed that she wasn't on the floor. I think the main goal is always to win with or without players."
Reports then followed of a locker room altercation, causing the absence, with potential calls to transfer. McMiller's father told On3 they were not planning on transferring at that moment.
The following game against Minnesota in Minneapolis, McMiller traveled with the team and was not listed on the Big Ten availability report, but was a late scratch and did not play. Rutgers lost 76-50.
McMiller made her return following the two-game absence against Nebraska, where she scored a career-high 33 points and nearly spurred an upset victory over the Cornhuskers, who pulled away late to win 69-62.
From there her season returned to relative normalcy, continuing to put up plenty of points and highlight-reel moves, including helping lead a frantic 17-point second-half comeback at Penn State for the Scarlet Knights' first Big Ten win.
Following Rutgers' February 6th loss at Indiana, McMiller missed the team's next game, a win over Purdue.
"She reported that she's not feeling 100%," said Washington following the game. "So we'll just take it day by day, game by game, and when she's feeling 100%, then she'll suit back up."
McMiller did not return for the rest of the season, and she now enters the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.
The McDonald's All-America nominee came to Rutgers as one of the most-hyped recruits in the country, thanks to her electric creation and ballhandling, both of which were on display when she was on the floor for the Scarlet Knights, including a viral move first made famous by Allen Iverson in his prime.
Originally a native of Maryland, McMiller played her last two years of high school basketball at Life Center Academy in Burlington, New Jersey, where she averaged 30.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game as a senior.
She ranked at No. 27 in espnW's recruiting rankings and No. 26 according to Prospects Nation.
Where McMiller decides to go next will be interesting to observe, as with her talent, she could - and likely will - be recruited by several high-major programs, but her off-court issues from the season could cause teams to hold back.
When she is on the court, however, she has proven to be an electric offensive weapon with a unique skillset.
After McMiller's entry into the portal, Rutgers' roster currently sits at seven players, also losing four seniors to graduation. The roster as currently constructed (sorted by years of eligibility remaining:
4 Years: F/C Precious Wheeler
3 Years: G/F Zachara Perkins
2 Years: G Lisa Thompson, G/F Antonia Bates, G Kennedy Brandt, F Janae Walker
1 Year: G Mya Petticord, G Deja Young
Stay tuned for all the latest news on Rutgers Women's Basketball and the Transfer Portal here on The Knight Report!
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