Kayel Newland enters her first season with the Stephens Women's Basketball program. Kayel is also a part of the Stephens College Masters of Physician Assistant program.
Prior to attending and coaching at Stephens, Kayel played college basketball at Illinois State under Kristen Gillespie from 2018-2022, where she won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in 2022 and made an appearance in the Women's NCAA Tournament for the program's first time in 13 years. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree double majoring in Physiology, Neuroscience & Behavior as well as Psychology.
"I am extremely excited about adding Kayel Newland to the Stars basketball family. Working with Coach K this summer showed me how impactful she would be from a values standpoint," says Head Coach Andre Bell. "The passion, leadership, enthusiasm, and dedication she showed while being a mentor for the young women we coached made it an easy decision for me. Coach Kayel is a "STAR" on more levels than just basketball."
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Newland coached high school girls' basketball at her alma mater, Liberty High School in Liberty, Missouri during the 2022-2023 season. As a player, Newland holds the 3-point record at Liberty High School with 212 (attained in 3 years), scored 1,138 points, won 4 district championships, and made it to the Missouri State High School (Class 5) Final 4 three times.
For the past two years, Newland has also coached for her former travel basketball club, Missouri Phenom. The organization pulls the best middle and high school girls' basketball players from Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas & Iowa to compete on the Nike EYBL girls' circuit against the best young talent from all over the country.
