Missouri women’s basketball center Tionna Herron is calling it a career.
Herron announced Monday afternoon via her X account that she is medically retiring from college basketball following an injury- and health-impacted career that saw her spend her final season in Columbia.
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The 6-foot-4 center out of DeSoto, Texas, was a top-75 prospect in the Class of 2022, when she committed to Kentucky. She did not play in Lexington, as she underwent successful open-heart surgery before transferring back to her home state to play for Texas in 2023.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, she transferred to play for former Mizzou coach Robin Pingeton. But, early in SEC play she said she landed awkwardly and tore a cartilage in her knee. The injury required further surgery, and Herron has decided to close the door on her basketball career.
“With the extent of the needed surgery and my prior open-heart surgery, I feel that it is time for me to step away from basketball and focus solely on graduating,” Herron posted to X. “I never thought this was how my college career would end. With everything I’ve gone through in these last three years, I’m grateful that I had the ability to learn more about myself through all of the adversity that I went through.”
Herron appeared in 12 games for Mizzou before the injury, averaging 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.4 minutes per game. She likely would have had two remaining years of eligibility.
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With Herron no longer on the roster, new Missouri coach Kellie Harper is down to six players currently able to return or sign and play next season.
Six Missouri players have already entered the transfer portal, including standout guard Ashton Judd. Combo guard Tilda Sjokvist, center Lucija Milkovic, forward Hilke Feldrappe and point guards Londyn Oliphant and De’Myla Brown each also intend to transfer out of the program.
That leaves Harper with four possible returning players, one high school signing and one transfer commitment eligible to play for the 2025-26 team. Those players are point guard Averi Kroenke, high school signee Nikki Kerstein, returning guards Grace Slaughter and Abbey Schreacke, returning forward Hannah Linthacum and Kentucky transfer guard Saniah Tyler.
Tennessee basketball coach Kellie Harper sends out instructions during the NCAA college basketball game against LSU on Sunday, February 25, 2024 in Knoxville, Tenn.
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Harper now has room to add nine players before the beginning of next season and remain within the expected upcoming roster limits. A bulk of that is likely to come via the transfer portal, which will remain open to new entries through April 23.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri women’s basketball center Tionna Herron medically retires
