Wagner College Athletics

Kiara Carter was appointed as an assistant coach of the Wagner women's basketball program in August 2022.
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Carter, a native of Queens, NY, concluded her first season at Division III member, John Carroll University, as the Blue Streaks posted a 23-5 overall record and a 15-2 mark in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). John Carroll reached the OAC Championship game this past season and earned a bid to the NCAA Division III National Championship as they advanced to the second round.
 
In addition to John Carroll’s success on the court, the Blue Streaks finished as the No. 7 ranked team in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2021-22 Academic Top-25, and Carter was selected to participate at the WBCA Final Four Convention this past year. She previously attended the convention in 2018 when she was a senior at Michigan State University. 
 
Carter previously coached at St. Xavier’s University, an NAIA institution in Chicago, IL. Serving as an assistant coach would assist with the day-to-day operations as well as help with individual skill development. On the court, she was directly responsible for offensive breakdown drills. 
 
Over her two seasons with St. Xavier, the Cougars posted a 48-8 overall record and a 32-1 mark in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC), which included a pair of conference titles and appearances in the conference title game. In 2020-21, St. Xavier earned a spot in the NAIA Opening Round in the Wichita Bracket B (runner-up).  
 
Carter spearheaded the women’s basketball’s social media initiatives while closely working on player development and recruiting. Four Cougar student-athletes earned NAIA All-American honors during her tenure. 
 
Carter also coached on the AAU circuit, the Mac Irvin Lady Fire, a club she played for during her high school days. Carter worked with the U15 and U17 programs. In 2021, her team won the U15 LBI Michigan Madness. 
 
Carter attended and graduated from Michigan State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism, with a concentration in Sports. She was a four-year member of the Spartans basketball team, which earned trips to the NCAA Tournament (2016 & 2017) and a trip to the WNIT in 2018. She earned her Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College in 2020.