Future of Rutgers women’s basketball arrive on campus: ‘Finally home’

Rutgers women’s basketball welcomed a talented pair of incoming freshmen to campus in highly-touted, five-star signee Kiyomi McMiller and four-star signee Zachara Perkins.

Both players were introduced to Rutgers fans via move-in day videos posted to the Scarlet Knights’ X account:

“Hey Rutgers fans, Zachara Perkins here. I am just so excited to be here on campus and I can’t wait to get the season started,” Perkins said.

“Hi, I’m Kiyomi McMiller. I finally moved in and I am so excited to be here…” McMiller said.

Perkins also shared a photo from the Rutgers practice facility via X on Sunday with the caption: “Finally home.”

A 6-foot-3 guard/forward combo out of Summer Creek High School in Houston, Texas, Perkins is the daughter of former N.J. hoops star and WNBA champion DeMya Walker-Wheatfall.

As a senior, she was named to the the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) All-State and All-Region teams and earned District 21-6A MVP honors.

McMiller, a Maryland native, became the first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with Jordan Brand last year.

She spent the last two years of her high school career at Life Center Academy and averaged 30.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.8 steals her senior season. The 5-foot-9 guard also competed in the the Jordan Brand Classic in April at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The Scarlet Knights have also added two players from the transfer portal in sophomore forward Janae Walker of Kentucky and graduate guard JoJo Lacey of Boston College.

Walker, a Georgia native, played in 28 games for the Wildcats last season and had one start. She led Kentucky in blocks on four occasions.

Lacey, a Pennsylvania native, averaged 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds last season, including a career-high 23 points against UNC.

Rutgers went 8-24, 2-16 in Big Ten play last season, often competing with seven or eight players due to injuries. They lost three guards in the transfer portal this offseason, including Jillian Huerter (Fairfield University), Kaylene Smikle (Maryland) and Erica Lafayette (University of Louisiana at Lafayette).

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