UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Athletics mourns the passing of Lady Lion great Kahadeejah Herbert, who died last week at the age of 58.
A member of the Lady Lions from 1981-85, Herbert led Penn State to three Atlantic 10 Championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program's first appearance in 1982.
"It's a very sad day for the Penn State women's basketball community," said women's basketball head coach Carolyn Kieger. "Our deepest condolences go out to the Herbert family and friends. Kahadeejah will be deeply missed by many but her legacy will live on in our program and at Penn State."
A Wade Trophy finalist in 1985, Herbert was the first of two Penn State players to have 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She holds the Penn State career rebounds record with 1,103.
The 1985 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year sits sixth all-time at Penn State in points (2,026), second in rebounding average (8.8), 11th in assists (224) and 16th in blocks (81).
Herbert led the Lady Lions in scoring in 1982-83 (16.6), 1983-84 (18.1) and 1984-85 (18.0), while pacing the team in rebounds all four years on campus.
After the Lady Lions made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1981-82, Herbert led Penn State to Atlantic 10 Tournament Titles each of the next three seasons while earning Tournament MVP honors in 1984 and 1985. Penn State advanced to its first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 1983.
Herbert was a Street & Smith All-American honorable mention in 1984-85 and was a WBCA All-District selection in 1984 and 1985. She also competed with the U.S. Select Team in 1985.
Following her basketball career, Herbert was an engineer at AT&T where she shined showing her technical abilities and her love for technology. She earned numerous accolades, including yearly Presidential Volunteer Awards, and was involved with numerous Employee Resource Groups. She retired from AT&T in 2020.
Herbert was also known for her volunteer working, including with the Dayton Honor Flight, which was a flight for local veterans.
She is survived by her daughter, Ameerah, and grandson, Isaiah.
