Get to Know the Lady Lions: Kamrah Banks

For Kamrah Banks, basketball is a family affair. 

From a young age, basketball was always present in her household as Kamaren, the Lady Lions’ dad, coached the sport at the school level. Even though she started her sports journey playing soccer, after competing in a couple of basketball games, Banks decided to fully commit to the sport her dad coaches.

“My dad ended up having me at a very young age and he prioritized me over his dream. He would always tell me, ‘No coach would ever be as hard on me as he is.’ So I feel like that prepared me mentally for what this level is going to look like. I feel like any level of coaching or intensity I'm able to take because of that,” Banks said. 

The Indianapolis, Ind., native also shared the court with another member of her family: her sister, Kenadi. She recognized that on the court her sister “knew her better than anyone.”

“I feel like playing with my sister helped me get better at creating for others, because I wasn't always having to do everything myself,” Banks said. “I feel like she always prioritized what I wanted to achieve. She would always ask, ‘What is it that you want to do?’ So, telling her that, and then her helping me and holding me accountable is what allowed me to do that.”

 

During her senior year, Banks etched her name into Crispus Attucks Tigers history as the program’s all-time leading scorer. She also holds the school record for most points scored in a single game with 63 in total, surpassing NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson’s prior record.

However, the recognition of her impressive talent started much earlier than when the record was set. Since she was 13, Banks had been actively recruited to play college basketball. Even though she got offers from schools closer to Indiana, she realized that she had multiple options and outcomes to consider.

Her interest in the Penn State program came instantly after conversations with head coach Tanisha Wright.

“The conversations that we had weren't just about basketball. (Wright) wanted to get to know me as a person. I feel like she prioritized our relationship over just me being a basketball player,” Banks said. “When she immediately did that, it was a green flag for me. I did have the feeling of ‘this is where I need to be.’”

Ultimately, in April, the guard was the first player to sign in the Coach Wright Era.

Now, joined by her nine other teammates, getting used to being far from home has gotten easier.

“I've never been opposed to being far away from home, that's something I always wanted to do,” Banks said. “But I feel like having coaches and teammates that make this feel like a home away from home makes that a lot easier.”

The business major has high expectations for the upcoming season with the Lady Lions, wanting to take advantage of every opportunity that might be presented to her. Banks says, “not everything is going to be perfect,” but she’s confident that she will continue aiming to be the best version of herself and she’ll keep continuing to grow and push through any mistakes.

“My main thing is showing my siblings that anything is possible,” Banks said. “No matter what the circumstances may be or the obstacles that we face, anything is possible and you just have to keep going”.