Tamiah Robinson has ‘that dog mentality’

Three–level–scorer Tamiah Robinson is a new guard for Utah State University Women’s Basketball.

Robinson transferred from Labette Community College, where she played for two seasons. Last season, she was an NJCAA Division II second–team All–American.

Isabella Tañedo, another guard on the team, says Robinson “just gets the job done.”

“She has that dog mentality,” Tañedo said.

Robinson has played basketball since she was five years old. She said she loves the passion it brings out of her.

“I’m a very chill, laid back person, but playing basketball brings out so much passion. You can see that I love the game, and how much love I have for the game,” Robinson said. “It brings out a side of me that most people don’t see.”

The team competed in their first exhibition game on Oct. 28, beating Fort Lewis College 74–45.

“It was good — that was just like my first real DI collegiate game, so I was excited and nervous at the same time. But it was good,” Robinson said. “I think we’re gelling pretty good together, but there is more stuff we can work on, and we’re just going to keep getting better from here on out.”

Both head coach Kayla Ard and Andre Gibbs, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, said Robinson is a great shooter.

“It’s no secret that her scoring ability is second to none. She’s going to help us in that area a lot,” Gibbs said.

Ard said Robinson can score on all three levels: she can shoot the three, she has a really good mid–range game and she is excellent at finishing at the rim.

Like Tañedo, Ard also said Robinson has “that dog mentality” on the court.

Prima Chellis, a forward on the team, said her favorite thing about Robinson is how she reads the floor.

“She has really good court vision,” Chellis said.

Robinson plays both point and shooting guard. She said she is pretty comfortable in both spots, so it’s hard to decide which is her favorite.

“I like playing point guard because I get to dictate everything that goes on the court, and I just think that’s good because I think that I make good decisions as a point guard,” Robinson said. “I like playing off the ball because I feel pretty free off the ball. So I can play the wing; I could shoot, I could drive.”

According to Ard, Robinson is consistent — the kind of player who can quietly drop 20 points.

“She’s a very consistent player, so I want to help her consistently be the best player on the court every night,” Ard said.

Ard said she loves having Robinson on the team.

“There’s a lot of things I love about her. When she’s happy and she smiles — I mean, she can light up a room. She’s got a great smile. She’s got a great personality. She’s funny, I love that about her. I love that she’s grateful. She wants to be here,” Ard said.

Ard referenced Robinson’s smile again when talking about her recruitment to USU.

“I could literally feel her smile through the phone when she was talking to me when she committed. So it was a special moment. I don’t tear up very often, but I did when she committed,” Ard said. “She’s just a special kid.”

Like Ard, Chellis also spoke fondly of Robinson’s smile.

“My favorite thing about Tamiah is probably her laugh — like when she laughs, it just makes you laugh because it’s so giggly — and her smile,” Chellis said.

Tañedo said she feels like she and Robinson just get each other because they are both from the East Coast. She said she loves when they crack jokes, laugh, hang out and talk about everything.

Chellis said Robinson and Tañedo are her “lifelong friends.”

“We’re all new here, and like, we just bonded so well with each other,” Chellis said. “After I graduate, they’ll be the people I want to be at my wedding.”

Robinson said the environment with her team has been really good. She said they are “gelling pretty quick on and off the court.”

“As fun as she is on the court, and all the spectacular things she can do, off the court she’s fun to be around,” Gibbs said.

According to Robinson, the team does things off the court to build their chemistry, which she has seen translate to their performance on the court.

Robinson said she has enjoyed her time in Logan and at Utah State so far.

“It has been pretty cool. I’m from Philly, so back there it’s like — it’s fast, it’s a lot of things going on. So to be out here in Logan and at Utah State, I’m just growing and trying new things, and I’m just in a calm environment,” Robinson said.

When talking about her goals, Robinson said she’s looking for “anything revolving around sports.”

“I want to go pro, but other goals would be like a coach or athletic trainer,” Robinson said.

Ard said Robinson is very open to growth, which is a huge advantage at her age.

“She wanted to come here to put herself in an uncomfortable situation because she felt like this path would help her, you know, achieve her dreams, which was going overseas and playing professional basketball. She thought that she could grow here — yes, as a basketball player, but as a person,” Ard said.

Ard said her favorite thing about Robinson is her willingness to challenge herself.

“She likes to put herself in challenging situations and sometimes uncomfortable situations to help her grow,” Ard said.

Ard said she wants to help Robinson grow as a basketball player and get on the Mountain West map, but also as a person so she can reach her goals after USU.

Gibbs said he is really excited to see Robinson reach her potential. He said with her, the sky is the limit.

“I already know we are going to be very, very proud of her at the end of the year,” Gibbs said.