Kiera Littlejohn may have never received a text message that changed her life more.
Shooting baskets one recent day in Polk County’s gym with teammate Bailey Staton, Littlejohn got a text unlike any other she’s ever received. On the sending end was the women’s basketball staff at Warren Wilson College, expressing interest in having the Wolverine senior join their program.
Littlejohn returned the interest and, on Tuesday morning, made her commitment official during a signing ceremony in the school auditoruim.
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“It means a lot because I never thought I woulkd actually get an opportunity to play in college,” Littlejohn said. “I’ve always thought about it, but I didn’t think I was that good.
“When (Warren Wilson) finally reached out to me, I was so happy.”
An All-Mountain Foothills 7 Conference selection this season, Littlejohn averaged nine points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. The numbers were similar in her junior season, reflecting the consistent presence that Littlejohn provided in Polk County’s lineup.
Those statistics came after Littlejohn missed her sophomore season with an ACL injury, a setback that she thought meant the end of her hopes of playing college basketball.
“In eighth grade and going into ninth grade, I thought I was good enough (to play in college),” Littlejohn said. “But after my injury, I was like, no, I’m not that good any more.
“As I was progressively getting better, I thought, I’m going to try, and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”
Littlejohn spent her season on the sidelines helping Polk County’s program with any and everything, and Polk County head coach Brandy Alm thinks that time away helped put Littlejohn on the road to Tuesday’s ceremony.
“I think her being on the other side, looking at it from a coach’s perspective for a whole year, helped her a lot,” Alm said. “It definitely brought her basketball IQ up, and I think it made her hungry, made her motivated and ready to get out and play.
“I think she always knew she wanted to take it to another level. And after the way she played this year, she realized, hey, I definitely can.”
Littlejohn will get her first chance to play on Warren Wilson’s court on Saturday as she takes part in The WNC All-Star Game. She’ll then continue preparing and working out before she reports this fall to campus, where she plans to study nursing while continuing her athletic career.
“She could definitely dominiate at that level,” Alm said. “She has the ability and she’s got the work ethic. I think she’s going to do great things.”
