Former SEC Point Guard Returns Home, Signs With Tigers
CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson women’s basketball program and head coach Shawn Poppie announced the signing of graduate transfer student Loyal McQueen on Wednesday morning.
McQueen, a Florence, S.C. native and Wilson High School alumna, comes to Clemson after spending the previous two seasons at Alabama. Last season, statistically, was the best season of McQueen’s career as she averaged 10 points, three assists, and three rebounds per game. She started every game last season for a 24-win Crimson Tide squad that beat Florida State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In the tournament against the Seminoles, McQueen put up 13 points, six assists, and five rebounds and played all 40 minutes of the game.
Last season with Alabama, McQueen set career highs in made field goals (103), points (332), rebounds (99), assists (105), and steals (25). She also set new personal records and led Alabama in free throws (104) and free throws attempted (131). In total, McQueen played in 65 games for the Crimson Tide while starting in 35 games.
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Coming out of high school McQueen, who was the 2020 Gatorade South Carolina Girls Player of the Year, signed to play at Georgia Tech. During her two years at Georgia Tech, McQueen played in 28 games, starting in 24. She averaged 8.3 points per contest and shot 35% from three during her two years in Atlanta.
At Wilson High, McQueen was a two-sport star in basketball and cross country. She surpassed the 2,000-point plateau during her time at Wilson. She was named the 2020 4A Girls Player of the Year, as well as the Max Preps South Carolina Player of the Year. The 5’8” point guard was a three-time all-state selection. She was the no. 74 overall recruit and no. 22 guard in the country per ESPN.
POPPIE’S THOUGHTS
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Loyal and her family back home. I’ve known Loyal for quite some time as I recruited her at an early age while I was at Virginia Tech. She’s one of those I’ve always watched and been a fan of from afar due to how strong our relationship was during the initial recruiting process. As Loyal and I reconnected in this process, our relationship together grew even tighter. I believe she is a perfect fit here at the perfect time. She has had a phenomenal college career up to this point, but I truly believe she has so much more to accomplish. I’m thrilled to add her experience and playmaking ability to our backcourt. With that said, I’m confident the Clemson family and the state of South Carolina will be proud of how Loyal will represent our program on and off the court as we welcome her back HOME.”