Could Teniya Morant Restore Women's Basketball at Mississippi Valley?

Teniya has the opportunity to become a pivotal player for the Devilettes, bringing positive attention to Itta Bena.

Teniya Morant received her first Division I offer from Mississippi Valley State, and now she will be attending school in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Why is it important that Ja Morant's younger sister has chosen to showcase her skills in Itta Bena, Mississippi?

On Wednesday, Teniya announced her commitment on Instagram. She played basketball for Houston High School in Germantown during her high school years.

Teniya and Ja's father, Tee Morant, played college basketball at Claflin University in the 1990s, so the HBCU hoops legacy will continue in the Morant household.

Before the dive into the off-court aspects of this commitment, there was a clear need for Kimberly Thomas' Devilette squad - scoring.

Mississippi Valley was last in the SWAC in scoring and field goals made. Zaria Harleaux (10.6 PPG) and Krisen Hunt (9.3) were responsible for about a third of the offense, and Harleaux also controls the boards with 7.7 rebounds per game, good enough for third in the conference last season.

According to MaxPreps, Teniya averaged 11.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 29 games last season. While her numbers may dip as she transitions from high school to college, adding a double-digit scorer will bolster the offense. And Teniya's rebounding will help a Devilette team that was the only program in the SWAC to grab less than 1,000 rebounds and was second-to-last in rebounds per game.

Now for the off-court aspect.

There is a public image aspect of having the sister of an NBA superstar as a women's basketball program member. But Mississippi Valley isn't a school in the national spotlight; it's the smallest school in the SWAC with a women's program that has yet to win ten games in a decade.

So Teniya is going to a program with little national attention or immediate championship expectations, which would benefit her early development while avoiding extra pressure.

It would be naive to think there won't be some attention to the team. Again, Mississippi Valley is the smallest SWAC school - some publicity would be good, and it would only grow should Teniya and the team win. And one would expect that her parents - and sometimes her famous big brother - would occasionally appear at games in Itta Bena. That excitement of Ja Morant's sister playing there could spark an increase in attendance with the added potential of her playing well.

It's a low-risk move that could significantly benefit Teniya Morant and Mississippi Valley State women's basketball.