Feb. 24, 2017
By Ryan Berti, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. Some lead in between the lines, pushing their teammates to the limit during practice and through their play on the court. Others give advice and guide their fellow student athletes through their demeanor in the classroom. For the Penn State women's basketball team, it has someone unique in senior captain Kaliyah Mitchell, whose leadership bleeds through the entire fabric of the Blue and White her team wears.
Grounded by her Georgia roots, Mitchell's character, described as full of light-heartedness and competitiveness, has left a mark on those around her as well as the women's basketball program.
"With Kaliyah Mitchell she brings leadership," assistant coach Tamika Jeter said. "She brings toughness and a competitive edge that nobody else can give us. She brings something that's intangible to this team, and I talk about her leadership quite a bit because she's the one behind the scenes, she sees things before they happen, and has really been a big part in driving Coquese's vision on this team and developing our culture into a positive culture."
Mitchell knows that as a senior and a captain she plays an important role on this team. As one of the squad's leader, others look to her to show them the way and for her to lead by example.
I know I can't let up on my teammates and I know I have to push myself really hard in order for everybody else to go harder," Mitchell said. "It's hard to be a leader if you're not doing what you're supposed to do, so I try to make sure I'm out there competing, working hard with whatever we're doing."
That type of direction she provides she understands goes beyond basketball as well, and she knows that she needs to constantly be grinding if she wants her teammates to do the same.
"Regardless of if we're at community service or we're at the gym, going over a drill or something, I try to make sure I'm the hardest person working," Mitchell said.
She has done exactly that over her four years rocking the Blue and White. On the hardwood, the forward has been one of the team's most versatile players.
As a three-year starter, Mitchell has regularly been amongst the team's best in rebounding and defense, tallying 54 blocks, 142 steals and 662 total rebounds over her career. Her numbers have improved each season, with a significant jump during her senior season as the team leader in all three of those statistical categories.
The forward has also been a staple from the free-throw line, always proving to be reliable from the line. Mitchell has etched her name into the Penn State record books as she is ranked 19th all-time in Penn State history from the charity stripe, knocking her free throws down over 77 percent of the time.
A large amount of that production this year has come off the bench, which is something you usually don't expect from a senior captain. The difference between starting on the floor or coming off the bench does not phase Mitchell, however, as she feels that she can make an impact regardless of when she makes it onto the floor.
"When you're starting, you know you have to start out strong, you kind of set the tone, but when you come off the bench, I feel like you have an advantage," she said. "You're able to see what the other team's doing, you also see what we're doing and see what could be working, what's something that you can go into the game and help the team out with."
Even with all that production, assistant coach Tamika Jeter says it all comes back to her intangibles when it comes down to where her presence is felt the most.
"I think she does so much on the court, and the fans get to see her take charges and block shots and defend and rebound and score, but she does a lot for her teammates to show that she cares, so that's what I appreciate the most about Kaliyah."
At the end of the day, Mitchell knows what she means to the team and what she needs to do to help the team grow into something bigger than the game itself. As the team sits in the wheelhouse of post-season contention, she feels confident her team can ride their momentum from the second-half of conference play and the team can potentially achieve things to make her senior season one to remember.