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The Rutgers women’s basketball team suffered its worst home loss in program history on Sunday, falling by 50 points to Big Ten rival USC. Star guard Kiyomi McMiller was notably absent.
The reasoning behind her removal from the lineup is still unclear. An unhappy McMiller put her head coach on blast after the fact.
She took to social media to air frustrations with what she believed to be an unfair benching. In a message posted to Instagram, she wrote that it was coaching decision.
“I would like to apologize to my fans,” that note read. “I will not be playing in today’s game vs. USC, which is the #4 team in the country. This decision was made by my head coach Coquese Washington. Thank you for your continued support. God bless all of you – Kiyomi ‘The Product’ McMiller.”
McMiller arrived at Rutgers this offseason after signing in April. The freshman was rated as a Top 25 recruit by ESPN. She’s since flashed those talents on the court, averaging 19.9 points per game.
Legit one of the sickest moves I’ve ever seen… and this is regular for @Kiyomi_McMiller pic.twitter.com/HlouqrAYLK
— SSN Jay-O (@Jay_3shifty) December 12, 2024
Without Kiyomi McMiller on the floor, the Scarlet Knights struggled. The team fell behind 37-14 in the first half, failing to find an offensive spark. While scoring saw an uptick after halftime, it was too little, too late. Rutgers lost 92-42.
After the game, she doubled down on her criticism of the coach. She reposted a number of reports surrounding the absence, blaming Washington for the team’s embarrassing loss.
Some reposts on Kiyomi McMiller’s Instagram story regarding yesterday’s absence, including one (that appears to have now been deleted) calling for her to enter the transfer portal: https://t.co/cx3rk51faE pic.twitter.com/Jo9i0dqTav
— Alec Crouthamel (@AlecCr12) January 6, 2025
After the game, Washington did little to clear the air. “The thing with Kiyomi, we’re going to keep it internal,” she said. “For me, coaching is not just about what happens on the court on gameday. It’s about how we impact these young women that are in our program in all aspects from their character to their growth into womanhood.”
That quote would suggest that off-the-court issues sparked the suspension, though the specifics of McMiller’s transgression remain unclear. It’s only ignited controversy surrounding her future.
The guard’s advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, was shocked by the benching. “In my opinion, it should’ve been handled in an entirely different manner, and I think this is embarrassing to the entire program,” he said. Ellerbe then alluded to future repercussions of the decision.
“I don’t want to speak in terms of long-term, but you don’t treat people like this. You don’t handle a situation like this. I’m trying to say the right thing here… Who knows what her future looks like right now?”
-Leonard Ellerbe
Some now speculate a transfer out of Rutgers, though no announcement has been made public. If that comes to fruition, it would be a major blow to the Rutgers women’s basketball program.