Jaila Harding called it the “famous FaceTime.”
When she called Terry Nooner to announce her commitment to Wichita State’s women’s basketball team, the Shockers’ head coach was so excited he began to scream.
“He said he was in the airport, but I guess he didn’t care that people were watching him,” Harding said with a smile.
The graduate transfer’s commitment meant more than just Wichita State’s first in the transfer portal over the offseason. It’s a return to her roots. Growing up in Wichita, Harding said she can remember watching the Shockers play in Koch Arena ever since she was 6 years old.
“It’s super special to be able to be the one on the floor this time,” she said.
She felt like Wichita State was the right fit not only because it’s her hometown team, but because of the connections she made during her recruiting process.
Assistant coach Antwain Scales recruited Harding out of Wichita Southeast High School when Scales coached at Garden City Community College. She said she already trusted his vision as a coach.
“And I loved the conversations I had with Nooner,” Harding added. “I knew we would have a good connection, and that we could make something happen with this Wichita State women’s team.”
Harding can also fit a much-needed area for the Shockers: scoring, especially around the perimeter.
Wichita State ranked 11th in scoring and field goal percentage in the American Conference last year. The Shockers were 12th in the conference in 3-point shooting. They lost their top three scorers — Jayla Murray (12.4 ppg), Salese Blow (12.1 ppg), and Princess Anderson (9.4 ppg) — to the transfer portal.
“We want to improve our 3-point shooting,” Nooner said. “We want to improve our defense. We want to improve our rebounding. And I think we did that with the players that we brought in.”
Harding began at Butler Community College, where she averaged 9.2 points and wasn’t afraid to shoot it from deep. She shot 31% from beyond the arc but attempted 258 threes across her two seasons for the Grizzlies.
In two seasons at New Mexico State, she knocked down 122 threes and raised her percentage to 35.7%. Nooner praised her ability to find multiple ways to score.
“She’s not just a spot-up shooter, too,” he said. “Like, she can run off screens, double screens, stagger screens, down screens, flare screens. She can shoot off of movement. And then, she also can get to the basket and score. She has a nice pull-up game.
“She’s a three-level scorer. But her ability to shoot opens up the floor for the rest of our players.”
Not only does she bring a strong game on offense, but she also brings the attitude of a seasoned veteran. Bre’Yon White, also a graduate student and a returner from last season, sees that as one of Harding’s biggest assets for the team.
“She’s seen a lot,” White said. “(She’s) able to help the younger kids, just with her knowledge and stuff. And then, she’s just someone that is open to critiques and criticisms.”
From watching the Shockers in the stands to the “famous FaceTime” to playing on Koch Arena’s court, Harding’s homecoming is one that could punctuate her career right where it all began.
