Former Lady Lions Star Kamaria McDaniel Transfers to Baylor

After spending a few weeks in the NCAA transfer portal, former Penn State women’s basketball star Kamaria McDaniel is transferring to Baylor, the team announced Monday.

McDaniel was entering her senior year at Penn State but will need to sit out next season for the Lady Bears due to the NCAA’s transfer rules. She’ll be eligible to compete in the 2021-2022 season.

The Lady Lions are now officially losing their best player, and one of the nation’s top scorers. She averaged 19.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in an impressive season last year.

McDaniel is a native of Inkster, Michigan, but will head to Texas to join an extremely impressive Baylor team. The Lady Bears won the NCAA national championship in 2019, and are technically still defending champions of the title.

McDaniel is now the fifth player to depart from Carolyn Kieger’s program this offseason after the team posted a disappointing 1-17 conference record last season. McDaniel and the other transfers were all originally recruited by former Lady Lions coach Coquese Washington. 

This upcoming season will be the first time Kieger will coach players that she recruited herself. Her first class looks promising and features blue-chip recruit Leilani Kapinus, who earned a five-star rating as a top-40 recruit.