K-State women’s basketball player Tess Heal will return after NCAA violation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State will reinstate Tess Heal Monday following a 10% NCAA withholding of games.
- NCAA ruled Heal violated rules by signing a future pro contract with Keilor Thunder.
- Heal plans to finish college season; averages 9.8 points and recent 31-point game.
Kansas State women’s basketball player Tess Heal will return to action for the Wildcats next week.
The plan is for Heal to miss one more game and then play for K-State when it faces Arizona on Wednesday at McKale Center in Tucson.
Heal has been absent from K-State’s past two games while she navigated a NCAA violation that revolved around her signing a contract with a professional team in Australia called Keilor Thunder.
It is against NCAA rules for any player to sign a pro contract while he or she is actively playing for a college team. What made this violation unique is that Heal has no plans to play for the Australian club right now. Rather, she intends to play for the team after her college eligibility expires at the end of the current season.
In any case, Heal will be reinstated to the K-State basketball roster on Monday.
The final decision from the NCAA was a 10 percent withholding from competition based on the total number of games scheduled (31 games). The previous two games Heal has missed were counted toward the withholding.
“We’re glad this issue has been resolved,” K-State women’s basketball coach Jeff Mittie said in a statement. “We will look forward to having Tess back for the game Wednesday.”
The timing of this NCAA violation was interesting because men’s college basketball players have been able to suit up for college squads after starting the season in the G League and pro leagues overseas.
Some have criticized any type of suspension for Heal.
Heal is originally from Melbourne, Australia.
She transferred to K-State ahead of this season after beginning her college career at Santa Clara and Stanford.
Heal has been one of the most consistent players on the K-State roster this season, as she is averaging 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. She had scored at least 12 points in six straight games before she was sidelined with this NCAA violation, including a 31-point outburst against Houston and a 25-point night against Utah.