Niya Morant, Ja Morant’s sister, commits to MVSU basketball
GERMANTOWN, Tenn. (BVM) – Teniya Morant took steps this year to get out of the basketball shadow cast by her older brother, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. The 6-foot-3 Houston High School guard averaged 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 assists in 29 games for a 21-11 Mustangs team. This helped Teniya, who goes by Niya, earn the attention of numerous college programs.
Ja Morant’s little sister Niya was going off this season! 😤 @niyamorant1 pic.twitter.com/a56FrjVHsU
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) March 24, 2023
On Wednesday, Niya announced her commitment to Mississippi Valley State University, the first D-I program to offer the guard back in January. In an Instagram post, Niya wrote “lets go devilettes 💚❤️ #committed #mvsu #ladydevilettes” with photos of her and family members donning MVSU gear.
Congrats to our own @niyamorant1 for her commitment to @MvsuWBB !!! pic.twitter.com/raES34j9fc
— Houston Lady Mustangs Hoops (@Houston_Hoops) May 18, 2023
On her Instagram post, Niya already received some attention from arguably women’s college basketball’s most popular player. LSU star Angel Reese commented on the post, “see you game 2😭” to which Niya replied, “see you game 2.” Last season, the Devilettes played LSU for its second game of the season, a 111-41 loss.
Niya will follow in the footsteps of her family members with her college basketball career. Like her older brother, who famously played at Murray State University, Niya will play for a Group of 5 program and will look to elevate the team while also putting herself on the map. Like her father, Tee Morant, who played for Claflin University, Niya will play basketball for a historically black college or university.
The guard will be facing an uphill battle when she arrives at the Mississippi Valley State University campus. Last season, the Devilettes were 2-27 overall with a 0-18 conference record. The team’s only win against an NCAA opponent came in December when MVSU defeated New Orleans 67-63. So, not only will Niya be tasked with bringing her own strong game to the court, but also will be looked at to help revitalize the program.
Given her name and play as a senior, expectations will likely be high for Niya when she makes her way to Mississippi Valley State. However, high expectations are nothing new when you’re the younger sibling of an NBA superstar. For Niya, if she continues to play her game and grow her skill set, she should be able to help the Devilettes improve over her four years on campus.
Niya Morant rocking the Ja 1’s 🔥 @niyamorant1 @JaMorant pic.twitter.com/wvwBnr9IH5
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) February 24, 2023
