Ankeny Centennial junior Mya Crawford has verbally committed to play for the Drake women’s basketball program.
The versatile wing player announced her decision via social media on Friday.
“I would like to take the time to thank all of my teammates, friends, and family for being my biggest supporters,” she tweeted. “Thank you to ALL of my coaches who spent time on making me the player I am today!! Huge thank you to Coach (Allison) Pohlman and staff for believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity! With that being said, I would like to announce my commitment to further my academic and athletic career at Drake University!!”
Crawford said she picked the Bulldogs over Colorado State.
“I had a few offers, but I knew deep down I always wanted to stay close to home,” she said. “It was really important to me for my dad (Erik) to be able to watch my games and be there for me. When I went on my visit to Drake this summer, everything just felt right. The coaching staff helped a ton with my decision as well. I had a good connection with all of the coaches. I also have grown up always watching Drake play, and so I knew I like the way they played and as I got older I started to see myself in some of their players’ shoes!”
Crawford played her freshman season at Cedar Falls before moving to Ankeny when her father became the director of player development for the Iowa State men’s basketball program. Erik played at Northern Iowa and previously served as an assistant coach for the Panthers.
Crawford helped Centennial to an 18-7 record as a sophomore, including a semifinal appearance in the Class 5A state tournament. She averaged 8.5 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game while also leading the Jaguars with 62 steals.
Crawford, who was named to the CIML Conference second team, becomes the second Centennial player in the Class of 2025 to make her college plans. Forward Jaeden Pratt committed to Illinois State last month.