The Sanders family takeover at Jackson State added another member on Friday as the youngest of Deion Sanders’ children, Shelomi, officially signed to play basketball for the Lady Tigers.
Last season, Deion hinted that his daughter was headed to Jackson State to hoop, and after committing in February, she’s now signed sealed and delivered.
She joins Coach Prime, who’s the head football coach, and her brothers Shedeur and Shilo on campus down in Jackson, Mississippi.
A Family Affair | Deion Sanders’ Daughter Commits To Jackson State Women’s Basketball Team
Sanders’ oldest child Deion Jr. is the team’s videographer, so technically Shelomi has all three of her brothers on campus.
While she’s joining a loaded JSU roster under rising head coach Tomekia Reed, her carrying the Sanders name is a good look for the up-and-coming Tigers program.
The talented two-way guard took to Instagram after she inked her scholarship.
“I appreciate my brothers @shedeursanders & @shilosanders for being very hard on me, allowing myself to lock in and strive to be the best even though I wanted to fight them half of the time. Also thank u dad- @deionsanders for praying with me before my games and literally rolling into them this season you know with your foot and all.”
Shelomi Joining A Talented Program
While the football team dominates the headlines, the Lady Tigers have been on a roll under head coach Tomekia Reed, one of the rising stars in the coaching game.
Winning 37 straight SWAC games and pushing Kim Mulkey and the heavily-favored LSU Tigers to the brink of elimination in the NCAA Tournament are the latest milestones orchestrated by Reed.
The program is on its way to winning tourney games in March consistently. Under Reed’s development, JSU produced the first WNBA draft pick from an HBCU in two decades.
Ameshya Williams-Holiday, who led the Tigers this past season, was drafted by the Indiana Storm in the third round of the WNBA draft. It was another watershed moment for HBCU athletics.
Reed runs a tight ship based on merits, so being the daughter of Coach Prime won’t earn Shelomi any playing time. In fact, she’s going to have to work twice as hard as the others to crack the starting five. When people hear the Sanders name they think “sensational athlete.” The bar has been set incredibly high by the men in her family.
Bringing More Visibility And Exposure To JSU And HBCUs:
With Deion and the football team bringing newfound visibility, exposure and revenue to the school and various athletics programs, adding more star power to other sports on campus is definitely a goal.
Now the women have Coach Reed and a player with a family name and legacy that rings bells. With former NBA player Mo Williams leading the men’s basketball team, JSU is getting it done.
It Stars At The Top
JSU athletics director Ashley Robinson doesn’t get enough credit for the job he’s done down in his hometown. His efforts and risk-taking have worked wonders, none bigger than the signing of Deion as head football coach, as that move has seemingly catapulted an entire athletic program.
