JUCO journey fuels Destiney McPhaul for big year at Mississippi State

A new journey awaits Destiney McPhaul in 2024 but the talented junior guard couldn’t be more prepared for it.

A native of Philadelphia, Pa., McPhaul knows a thing or two about toughness. But her mental toughness has been tested the last few years in ways that she never could have imagined.

After becoming the Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year out of high school at West Catholic, McPhaul signed with Virginia Tech and was set to begin her college career in the ACC. Circumstances would change for McPhaul and she would land right down the road at Temple University.

While having to sit out during the season due to transfer rules, McPhaul also faced the tragic loss of one of her most cherished loved ones in her grandmother and her grades would suffer because of it. A move to junior college would be her next stop.

Instead of throwing in the towel, McPhaul embraced her new opportunities. She became an All-American at Northwest Florida State and has now signed with Mississippi State.

“It’s a great feeling. Out of high school I committed to playing for a Power 5 and things didn’t go the way I wanted,” McPhaul said. “Now that I’m here at Mississippi State, I feel like I’m mentally and physically ready for everything. It’s exciting.”

McPhaul’s All-American run impressive

It’s been a fun last couple of years for McPhaul at Northwest Florida. As a freshman, McPhaul averaged 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals as she helped her team to a National Championship win.

She topped that this season when she averaged 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists on the way to First-Team All-American honors. She had the fourth most single-season points in school history at 475, shot 49% from the field, 36.2 from 3-point range and 82% from the free throw line and had a tremendous tournament run where she had 25.5 points per game in four contests.

As teams from around the country started to knock down the doors to come after McPhaul, the one constant was Sam Purcell and State. McPhaul played her National Championship in Casper, Wyo., and Purcell followed her there. He was a centerpiece in her recruitment from the beginning and McPhaul never forgot.

“He started recruiting me early and I talked to him almost every day. I was comfortable talking to him and I already felt like he was my coach,” McPhaul said of Purcell. “He cared about me as a person and as a player. It was fun building a relationship with him and I had to be here. There was nowhere else to go.

“It shows how much he cares about me and how much he wants me here. I was happy he made that trip and it made me feel special.”

While the 5’9 guard became known for her scoring potential down the stretch of the season, she has always been considered a versatile guard.

Purcell recruited McPhaul to do a little bit of everything for State this year. She can play the point guard position or the shooting guard spot and plays bigger than her size.

“I can create for myself and teammates. I can play the one or the two and that’s what makes it harder to stop me. I’m not one dimensional – I can do whatever it takes to help my team.”

As for the season ahead, McPhaul is already excited to show what she’s made of in the SEC.

Losing an opportunity to play on the Division I level only fueled McPhaul to be better than ever. Losing a key part of her life in her grandmother gave her even more reason to be great. She now has the keys to prove just how far she’s come and the rest of her team is going to have that chance as well.

“When I first came in, I was kind of nervous because JUCO to the SEC is a big step. On top of that, we have pretty much a whole new team,” McPhaul said. “This group is special. Everyone clicked and loves each other. The vibes were there from day one and I saw from there that we’re going to be special.

“I’m going to go out there and create a name for myself. I was at this level before – not exactly in the SEC. I wasn’t able to play so it’s all about letting everyone know who I am and who this team is. We might get overlooked, but we’re going to let them know who we are.”