Mayflower’s Turner a silent leader
The most accurate summary of Kamiah Turner’s demeanor during the course of a basketball game is really not much of a summary at all.
The Mayflower senior’s outwardly manner is about as calm and even-keeled as they come, and her game-to-game approach, according to Coach Coty Storms, starts and ends the very same way.
But if opponents are trying to size her up just by reading her facial and body expressions on the floor, it’s pointless.
Turner has seemingly mastered the art of the poker face.
“Last year, we went down to Glen Rose and she got a technical foul,” Storms recalled, laughing. “And I saw an official following her. He asked her something, she said something and he T’d her up. So I called him over and I said, ‘Hey, of all people, what could she possibly have said to earn that?’
“And he was like, ‘Coach, she asked for a foul so I gave her one.’ And I go nuts. Well, I ended up getting tossed, but that’s like an inside joke now. Anything I need now, she owes me.”
That debt is one the 5-11 forward has had no trouble paying because she’s been money for the Lady Eagles.
Turner averaged a double-double as a junior to help Mayflower reach the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament. This year, she’s again carrying the torch — or in this case, an olive branch and arrows — for a Lady Eagles club that’s caught fire at just the right time.
Mayflower (16-5), ranked No. 5 in Class 3A, ran away with the 3A-5 Conference’s regular-season title and will take an 11-game winning streak into the upcoming district tournament behind Turner, who’s averaging 17.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.
“The thing that I think separates her from some of the others is that her attitude never changes,” Storms said. “Whether things are going good or bad, she’s level-headed, and I love that about her. Most of the time, you’ll catch her smiling, too.”
Turner isn’t afraid to show just how far her emotional radius extends. For example, there was a sequence during Mayflower’s 52-19 victory over Lamar on Jan. 29, where she blocked a shot on one end, sprinted down the floor, retrieved a pass just outside the lane from classmate Jenna McMillen, backed her defender up and drop-stepped before scoring easily. She smiled as she pumped her fist while running back up the court to get back on defense.
Moments later, she highfived a couple of her teammates while flashing a wide grin during a timeout.
But there is a cold-blooded streak that runs inside her, one that many won’t spot on the exterior because of the serene, peaceful manner with which she plays. It’s not until Turner has scored over and over or snatched up everything that comes off the glass that others begin to notice that silent assassin within her.
“I just try to play like it’s my last game,” Turner said. “Nowadays, you just never know. Covid can shut it down at any moment. That’s generally my mindset, just to go out and play like it could be my final high school game by doing everything I can to help us win.”
Storms noted that there isn’t anything flashy about Turner’s game but pointed out that there are times where teams are surprised at the ability she possesses.
“I don’t even think I realized it at first,” he said. “Her foot work is unbelievable, and some teams may see at her and think that she can’t move as well as she does. But when the game starts, they realize that she’s quicker than they thought. She can really get up and down the floor.
“I think, especially going to what I call a more guardheavy conference than what we were in, it’s been more obvious this year. Her having to learn how to guard a guard just because I can’t take her off the floor. She’s had to figure out how to give up something to get something, but her IQ is so high that she’s good at just about everything she does out there. She’s really something.”
Turner has stood out all season, but she’s increased her level of play when Mayflower faces stiffer competition. She had 24 points and 17 rebounds in a one-point loss against Class 2A No. 3 Central Arkansas Christian in an early-season showdown and finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists in a 54-50 victory over Dover in a game that essentially cleared the Lady Eagles’ path to win the conference championship.
“[Dover] beat us earlier in the year at their place, and I don’t think I played that well in that game,” Turner said. “So I was already going in and telling myself that I needed to score, needed to play better this time. It was a big game, too, one that we needed to win.”
That kind of determination is what could lead Mayflower to a state title in a few weeks.
“We know we can’t have any ‘off’ games, particularly with the postseason coming up,” Turner said. “So if we need a bucket, I kind of put it on myself to go out and do that. But I’m always looking to get my teammates points.
“We all love to share the basketball because when we do that, we’re a great team. We all love to play for each other, and if we continue to do that and focus on the little things, we can go a long way.”
Storms agreed and mentioned that the team’s senior leadership could boost the Lady Eagles’ chances tremendously in advancing one step further than the heights they reached last season.
“A year older with the experience we have really helps,” he said. “In times likes these, you never know from day to day. Good leaders like Jenna are going to bring it every day. Kamiah is the same way. This team is going to bring it every day, and it makes my job a lot easier.”