The NC State Wolfpack have made waves in both the NCAA Tournament and the WNBA thanks to a number of big name transfers the last few years. Khamil Pierre’s decision to leave Vanderbilt on the back of a foundational season was a shock to many. Now, she sits down and talks about the choice with Chauny and Tyler on this edition of Luxury Tax.
Before she discusses the transfer choice, Pierre takes the gang through her basketball origins in Phoenix, Ariz. and how her path to being Arizona’s Gatorade Player of the Year started in a very unconventional manner. Pierre was a talented soccer player with a number of college offers, but took a risk and quit soccer to focus on basketball her junior year of high school and it paid off in a major way. Still, soccer has played a role in her skill development as a hooper.
After high school, Pierre’s basketball journey took her east to Vanderbilt University where she helped head coach Shea Ralph revitalize that program and turn it into one of the up and coming teams in not just the SEC, but the nation. Her role at Vandy wasn’t quite what she thought it would be as she described her stint as “a very hard time” for both her freshman and sophomore year. She took the positives from those two years with her though, and she made the decision to transfer to NC State, a school that had originally recruited her out of high school.
“They’re a winning program, they have a winning culture and they produce pros,” she said. “So I just felt like that’s where I needed to be.”
Pros like Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James both made a splash in the WNBA this season as rookies and Pierre is looking to follow in their footsteps. The 6’2 forward has aspirations of playing in the W and has the confidence in her abilities to get there as well as the trust in head coach Wes Moore to further develop her.
“Last year it was good from a statistical standpoint and from like an outside eye,” she said. “But I think I have so much more growing to do. I’m still new to the game and I think there’s a lot of ways I can elevate my game. So [it’s a balance between] being proud of what I did accomplish and understanding what I was going through, but also understanding there’s so much more to be done.”
She has examples that have both come through NC State’s doors, but also one player in particular who continues to dominate at the next level; A’ja Wilson. Pierre said there’s a lot to take from the recently named 4-time MVP’s game.
“She’s just a dog, but also always the best basketball player on the court all around, not just one aspect,” she said. “And I think that’s just what I strive to be. Or even somebody like Candace Parker, long lengthy player who can kind of do a little bit of everything.”
Pierre is admittedly a yapper on the court and will look to bring that fiery energy as the Wolfpack will get their first big test of the season Nov. 9 when they face the USC Trojans in the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte.
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