Why Temira Poindexter has been a ‘rare’ impact transfer for the Kansas State Wildcats
Temira Poindexter became a hero for the Kansas State women’s basketball team when she made eight 3-pointers during a thrilling 80-79 overtime victory against Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Every time K-State was in trouble the senior forward stepped up and made a jaw-dropping shot to ensure that her Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than two decades.
Head coach Jeff Mittie was understandably proud of Poindexter after the Wildcats pulled off one of their biggest wins in program history. But not for the reasons you might expect.
He had a surprising response when he was asked to analyze her performance.
“I’m really proud of her because she transferred to us,” Mittie said, “and this was one of her reasons.”
Poindexter spent the first three seasons of her college career at Tulsa, where she averaged 16.9 points per game. Things were going well for her with the Golden Hurricane, and she was an all-conference player in the American Athletic Conference. But her only postseason trips were to the WNIT.
She transferred to K-State for her final year. Not because she wanted more minutes or more scoring opportunities, but because she wanted to experience March Madness.
During her recruitment, Mittie remembers Poindexter saying things like, “I want to play with a team like this” and, “I want to be a part of the NCAA Tournament.”
He wasn’t expecting that from a transfer.
“It’s rare,” he said. “Most players are looking for playing time. She said, ‘Coach, I want to go to an established locker room and I want to go to a group that wants to further.”
Mission accomplished.
Poindexter missed her first five shots against Kentucky and then caught fire on her way to a game-high 24 points. Now she is living her dream on a team that will next play the winner of No. 1 seed USC and No. 9 seed Mississippi State in the Sweet 16 on Saturday in Spokane, Wa.
“To see her step up in the biggest moments after a start like that is pretty special,” Mittie said.
Poindexter has been an impact transfer for the Wildcats all season. She averaged 12.7 points and 2.9 rebounds as a complementary player alongside Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell. But she had impressive outings, such as when she scored 24 points at BYU and 23 against Cincinnati. That gave her confidence to take on a bigger role against Kentucky.
Her teammates encouraged her every step of the way, even when her shots weren’t falling.
“In those moments, I do get down on myself,” Poindexter said. “So my teammates coming in and having my back and telling me to keep shooting is really what lifts me up and gives me confidence.”
She is ready for whatever comes next.
After all, Poindexter didn’t transfer to K-State in search of personal accolades. She wanted to help the Wildcats win in March.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Why Temira Poindexter has been a ‘rare’ impact transfer for the Kansas State Wildcats."