Kentridge High’s Miller signs with UW women’s basketball

Kentridge High basketball star JaQuaya Miller signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Washington.

The 6-foot-3 senior post helped Kentridge win the Class 4A state championship as a sophomore in 2017.

“I chose UW because of the relationships I built with the UW staff and the love they not just tell me they have for me, but also the love they demonstrate towards me,” Miller said in a posting on the Huskies website after signing on Nov. 15. “UW is truly like a second family, not just the staff but the girls on the team as well.”

Miller, of Renton, is one of the top recruits in the country. She is ranked 41st overall by Prospects Nation for the 2019 class with a 4.5-star rating. She is considered the sixth best post in the nation and the top overall prospect in the state.

As a junior, Miller averaged 9.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.7 assists per game, helping the Chargers to a 26-3 record and a third-place finish in the state tournament. She also earned first-team all-area honors by the Tacoma News Tribune, first-team all-North Puget Sound League honors and AP All-State honorable mention recognition.

In Miller’s sophomore season, Kentridge won the state title – the first in the school’s history – with Miller named Tournament MVP after scoring 27 points, pulling down 17 boards and adding five steals in the championship game. As a sophomore, she averaged 11.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per contest. Miller was named MVP of the North Puget Sound League and was a first-team all-area pick by the TNT.

Miller is the daughter of former Washington State University standout Eddie Ja’Quay Miller, who played for the Cougars from 1998-2000.

“JaQuaya is a local standout and one of the top post players in the country,” UW coach Jody Wynn said on the Huskies website. “It’s truly special she has chosen to be a Husky and represent her home state. She has great versatility in her game and can do a multitude of things on the court. Quay is a very unselfish player and is a terrific passer and rebounder. She also has the ability to shoot the three and drive to the basket and finish around the rim. She runs the floor very well and will excel in our system.”

The Huskies also signed two other players – Ali Bamberger and Nia Lowery. Bamberger, a 6-3 post, is ranked as the No. 8 player out of California. Lowery, a 5-11 wing from Sacramento, is rated as a four-star recruit by Prospects Nation.

“We are very excited to add these three terrific young ladies to our Husky family,” Wynn said. “They are all high-character, quality people that embody our core values and the culture we are building. All three young women have parents that were student-athletes and played D-I college basketball. It’s a great class that will propel our program in the right direction and we are thrilled to have them join Husky nation.”