MANHATTAN, Kan. – Ahead of her debut with K-State women’s basketball, senior forward Temira Poindexter has been named as one of 20 small forwards in the nation selected to the 2024-25 Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award – an award that recognizes the top small forward in women’s college basketball.
This is the first time Poindexter has been named to the watch list for the honor.
The Cheryl Miller Award, in its eighth year, honors the top small forwards in women’s Division I women’s college basketball. It is named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting Friday, November 1. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Lieberman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The 2025 Cheryl Miller Award winner will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
Other candidates for the Miller Award are: Madison Booker, Texas; Cotie McMahon, Ohio State; Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor; Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina; Yarden Garzon, Indiana; Aicha Coulibaly, Texas A&M; Angela Dugalic, UCLA; Aubrey Griffin, UConn; Grace VanSlooten, Michigan State; Gianna Kneepkens, Utah; Madison Scott, Ole Miss; Lior Garzon, Colorado; Sacha Washington, Vanderbilt; Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama; Saylor Poffenbarger, Maryland; Sahara Williams, Oklahoma; Sarah Strong, UConn; Jordan Obi, Kentucky; Maryam Dauda, South Carolina.
Prior to coming to Manhattan, Poindexter filled her trophy case at Tulsa for the last three seasons. During her time with the Golden Hurricane, Poindexter garnered 2024 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America Honorable Mention honors, 2024 WBCA All-Region 3 recipient, 2024 American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year, Two-time All-AAC First Team honors, 2022 AAC Freshman of the Year and 2022 AAC All-Freshmen Team honors.
Poindexter, a product of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, has registered 1,560 career points and averaged 16.8 points per game in 93 games played with 87 starts at Tulsa. She ranked third in Tulsa history for career points and fifth in school history for career scoring average. She ranked fifth in program history for career field goals made (569).
In the 2023-24 season, Poindexter set the Tulsa records for points in a single-season with 734, field goals made in a season with 265 and 3-point field goals made in a season with 85. She ranked second in school history for points per game at 21.0 and tied for ninth in school history for blocks in a season with 53.
Among the NCAA Division I statistical rankings last season, she ranked seventh in the nation for total points, 16th in the nation in scoring average, 11th in the nation in field goals made, eighth in the nation for field goals attempted (614), 22nd in the nation for 3-point field goals made, 44th in the nation for 3-point field goals made per game (2.4) and 48th in the nation for total blocks. Poindexter was one of three players in the nation last season to record 700 or more points and 50 or more blocked shots (JuJu Watkins, USC; Paige Bueckers, UConn).
Poindexter notched double figures in all 35 games, including 21 games with 20 or more points. She scored a career-high 33 points and pulled in 10 rebounds against Rice on Feb. 10, 2024, which ranked tied for fourth in Tulsa history for points in a single game.
During the 2022-23 season, she played in and started all 30 games and averaged 16.1 points (482) with 27 double-figure scoring games. She carded a free throw percentage of .832 (79-of-95) and ranked 80th in the nation. She also hauled in 5.4 rebounds per game (163), which included three games with 10 or more rebounds. Defensively, Poindexter ranked 76th in the nation for blocks per game (1.43) and 79th in the nation for blocks (43). Among her scoring performances in 2022-23, Poindexter registered a season-high 25 points at 23rd-ranked South Florida on Feb. 22, 2023.
In her debut collegiate season in 2021-22 with Tulsa, Poindexter played in 28 games with 22 starts and averaged 12.3 points (344) which included 18 games with 10 or more points. She shot .441 from the field (131-of-297), including .320 (39-of-122) from 3-point range and .796 (43-of-54) from the foul line. She pulled down 4.6 rebounds per game (130) and notched two games with 10 or more boards. Poindexter sent back 52 shots (1.86 bpg). In her first collegiate game, Poindexter tallied 23 points, five rebounds and two assists against Duquesne on Nov. 11, 2021. She ended her first season with a season-high 29 points at Wyoming in the WNIT Second Round on March, 20, 2022.
K-State women’s basketball season tickets are available now. Prices start at just $75 with a Wildcat 4-Pack to see every game in Bramlage. Order now by visiting kstatesports.com/tickets or calling 1-800-221-CATS.
K-State, ranked 13th in the preseason Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls, is in action on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The Wildcats host Washburn in exhibition action. For tickets, visit kstatesports.com/tickets or call (800) 221-CATS.