Clemson women’s basketball coach Shawn Poppie confirmed that the NCAA has denied a request that would have granted Mia Moore an additional year of eligibility, a move that could affect the guard’s plans to launch a professional career abroad.
The decision hinges on the limited minutes Moore logged during her redshirt freshman season at Mississippi State, where a lingering injury restricted her to just ten minutes across 33 games.
Poppie said he will file an appeal, hoping the governing body will reconsider before the opportunities overseas slip away for the player who has been a cornerstone of the program.
Moore’s résumé includes All‑ACC honors from the previous season, a scoring average of 13.3 points per game and 4.7 assists per game, and she was the first athlete under Poppie’s tenure to earn that distinction.
Roster Reinforcements
The Tigers will retain Rusne Augustinaite, a sharpshooter ranked among the nation’s top three‑point threats, while adding five newcomers through the transfer portal.
Among those transfers, Mackenzie Nelson stands out as the class’s top recruit, having posted the second‑best assist‑to‑turnover ratio in the country last season.
The incoming group also features Edie Clarke, Jenna Lawrence, Taliyah Henderson and Yakiya Milton, each bringing a different skill set to the lineup.
Clemson’s recruiting class was further bolstered by four high school signees — Kimora Fields, Julia Scott, Meeyah Green and Dyarri Braddick — who all rank within the ESPN Top 60 prospects.
Poppie’s ultimate goal is to guide the program to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2002, a milestone that would underscore the team’s rapid ascent.