Former Jackson State head women’s basketball coach Tomekia Reed has signed her first former Jackson State player to her UNC Charlotte roster as 6-foot 5-inch post player Daphane White has committed to play for coach Reed and the 49ers.
The former five-star recruit out of St. Martin HS in Mississippi was ranked 45th nationally back in 2018 where she averaged 25.8 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks in her final prep season,
Daphane White initially committed to Mississippi State University out of high school but eventually made her way to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where she appeared in all 24 games averaging a double-double with 15.7 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per contest as a freshman.
Her strong freshman campaign landed her at the University of Houston where she appeared in 10 games, with one start, having her best performance against the University of Auburn scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the Cougar’s win.
White, then transferred back to her home state to play for Tomekia Reed at Jackson State University. She played in 31 games during her first year at Jackson State. She started 15 games and averaged 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds, leading her to be named to the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team heading into the 2023-2024 season.
In January of 2024, White’s season ended after only nine games because of an ACL injury.
“So I tore my acl. Im completely devastated, “she wrote. “I honestly didn’t know how to come on here & let my fans know thank you to everyone who have checked on me & even helped after that game. I’m doing everything in my power to get back. LOVE YOU GUYS.” She posted on her Instagram account.
Daphane White averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game before her ACL injury cost her the remainder of the season. Now, Daphane is back playing for coach Reed but now she’s headed to North Carolina to play for UNC Charlotte.
Tomekia Reed alluded to bringing in players she was familiar with to fill the gaps on the 49er’s roster, but emphasized that these would be pieces to complement the talent she was inheriting at UNCC.
“I do not create roles. The players create the roles themselves. So just getting the chemistry early is really important, and we’ll have time in the summer to do that. and just putting pieces around the current team to help us be successful. Really good foundation. The programs I’ve taken over have been programs at the bottom, and this is not a program at the bottom,” coach Reed said at her introductory press conference in Charlotte.
Adding a healthy graduate transfer post player like Daphane White to a Charlotte WBB roster that already has experienced, talented guards could be a recipe for success as Tomekia Reed looks to continue her winning ways in year one at UNC Charlotte.
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