Tomekia Reed rejuvenated for second season with 49ers

CHARLOTTE ATHLETICS

Tomekia Reed suffered through an 11-21 season with the Charlotte 49ers that left her feeling burned out. Reed reports that adversity helped her rediscovered her enthusiasm for coaching and developing the Charlotte program.

Tomekia Reed was burned out when she got to Charlotte.

For years at Jackson State, she poured everything into lifting the Tigers and SWAC women’s basketball to prominence. She was successful, but it was tiring mentally and physically. 

“I am just going to be really honest with you, I was burnt out when I got this job,” Reed said. “I was in a position where I was bringing the SWAC to prominence. I was trying to make sure that people understood the importance and that there was a lot of value in those schools because everybody had looked down on HBCUs. 

“I had put so much energy into the social media piece, in my team and encouraging them to just fight and be great. We were able to do so and we won big. It afforded me the job here, but when I got to Charlotte I was burnt out.”

In Reed’s first season with  the 49ers, they went 11-21 and 4-14 in American Conference games. Reed, who was accustomed to transition basketball for easy layups at Jackson State, found a different style of play. 

“This league is so much different than the SWAC,” she said. “The SWAC is a driving league. Most of the teams there drive the ball to the basket. The American is a shooting league. A lot of the teams have great shooters, so this is something that myself and my staff had to adjust to. I have a much bigger staff here as well, so adjustments were the big thing.”

After winning big at Jackson State, an 11-21 season can be humbling. Reed said it made her realize she had to re-discover her enthusiasm. 

“I felt bad, because I had never been in that [mental state] before,” she said. “I learned that I needed to find my passion again. I could tell I wasn’t being as passionate. I am not a person that has an ounce of quit in me. This season I feel renewed. … I recruited players who can run my system so I can get back to doing some of the things I am accustomed to doing. But the biggest thing I learned last year was that I can be resilient and understand how to be mentally tough. I have my energy back and I’m locked in on redefining who I am. I feel like a new person.”

The 49ers return three players from last year’s roster: guards Imani Smith and Caroline Thiel along with center Daphane White. Reed recognized all three could have taken the easy route and left but appreciates they stuck it out. 

“I absolutely love Caroline,” Reed said. “When I interviewed for the job, everyone kept saying, ‘You have to keep CT.’ … From the day I met her ‘til now she is one of the hardest workers… and her energy is through the roof. Smitty is such a smart player. We had her playing [multiple positions] and she got the job done because she is a determined player. Daphane has been through so much. She has battled injuries. After the season last year, I told her she should probably go pro. She said, ‘Coach, I don’t want to end my [college] career like this,’ so she decided to come back. When we get a healthy Daphane on the floor, it is going to be hard to guard her.”

The rest of the roster is composed of new players that Reed felt embodied character traits she has within herself. 

“This team is going to be exciting,” she said. “When I went out and recruited, I was looking for players who resembled who I was as a person. That is someone with a lot of energy, resilient, tough, and that is what these players bring to the table. They are fun to work with and fun to coach. They make mistakes just like anyone else, but they work through it. They love each other and I think that is really important when you bring in several new players, making sure they have that chemistry and have one another’s back. But what I love probably the most about this group is that they are coachable, and they want to be great.”

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