Next in player previews is a guard who’s never cracked into the Buckeyes’ rotation
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
Ohio State women’s basketball has been upperclassmen heavy in the guard position for the last three seasons. First it was Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell, then Rikki Harris and Mikesell, ending last season with the return of Sheldon to a fully healthy season alongside graduate transfer Celeste Taylor.
Breaking into the group has always been difficult. Next is a guard who’s been part of that group trying to break through. It’s junior guard Kaia Henderson.
Name: Kaia Henderson
Position: Guard
Class: Junior
High School: New Hartford High School (New Hartford, New York)
2023-24 Stats: 0.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.353 FG%
Last Season
Henderson played more minutes than her freshman season, but all the minutes were in the same kind of situations. The 5-foot-6 star out of Upstate New York played near the end of games where the Buckeyes were firmly in control.
The guard scored 12 points overall, split amongst three of her 15 appearances. They came against the likes of Ohio University, IUPUI and one shot made against the Wisconsin Badgers.
In four of those appearances, Henderson played over 10 minutes a game.
What to Expect
Henderson is a scorer who isn’t afraid to go to the basket against bigger paint opponents. The guard can also shoot at all three levels, showing impressive range in a high school career that ended with her amassing 2,284 points in New York’s Section III, good enough for fourth all time in the state.
Prediction
Head coach Kevin McGuff said in media availability that this Buckeyes side is deep, with about nine or 10 players who will find themselves regular minutes in the rotation. When mentioning guards to fill those roles, Henderson’s name hasn’t come up over freshman like Jaloni Cambridge or Ava Watson.
It looks like it’ll be a group of four regular guards rotating in the backcourt, and it doesn’t feel like Henderson will be part of that group.
However, Henderson’s work off the court impresses, showing that half of student athletes is student. Henderson’s done work on the NIL level, working to empower other athletes in the space to build a life outside of the sport.
Also, the guard’s done a podcast series with Missouri gymnast Kennedy Griffin that highlights trailblazers in women’s sports.
Even if Henderson doesn’t get regular time on the court, the guard makes her presence known in the work she does off of it.
Highlights
Watch as Henderson scores 20 consecutive points for New Hartford High School.
Other Player Previews
Miss a player preview? Click the links below to learn more about the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster:
Madison Greene
Eboni Walker
Ava Watson
Chance Gray
Elsa Lemmilä
Kennedy Cambridge
Taylor Thierry
Seini Henry
Ajae Petty
Faith Carson