When DaNiyasia Robinson joined the Covington High School basketball team as a freshman four years ago, she’s was playing mainly because she figured she should.
Albert Robinson and Krystal Robinson, her uncle and aunt, were two of the best basketball players in Covington history when DaNiyasia was a toddler. Two of her cousins – Demetrius Dyson and Malcolm Taylor – were also very good basketball players from Tipton County.
She doesn’t remember seeing her uncle and aunt play, but she heard all the stories.
“When I was a freshman I really didn’t want to play,” Robinson said. “It was all because of my uncle and aunt. They were always good and I had to follow in their footsteps.”
As her career progressed, though, she found a love for the game and improved dramatically. That all led to Monday afternoon in the CHS library when she signed a basketball scholarship with Jackson State Community College.
“She’s always been a raw athlete, just good at everything she plays, but when she first came in you could tell that the love wasn’t there as much as it is now,” Covington coach Katrisha Glass said. “I think she’s developed over the years and realized she could do this. I’m so glad that something clicked inside her.”
Robinson helped the Lady Chargers win four district titles during her career and make the state tournament in 2019 and 2021. At 5-8 she’s rarely the tallest player on the court, but she led Covington in rebounding (6.7 per game) and scored 6.5 points per game, third on the team.
“Other girls would overshadow her as far as stats, but the things she does allows them to get those stats,” Glass said. “She’s always been what I call my dog. She’s going to go get every loose ball, she’s going to defend whoever I put her on and she’s going to score open baskets. She’s the kind of player every coach wants to coach because she’s tough mentally and tough physically.”
Glass said Robinson was more interested in cheering from the bench than playing when her career began. Next fall her family and friends will be able to cheer her on as she plays college basketball.
When asked if somebody would have told her when she was a freshman that she would eventually play college basketball, Robinson said, with a smile, “I would have thought they were crazy.”
