TAMPA, FLA. — As the 2025 WNBA Draft approaches, one player who should not be overlooked is Harvard Crimson guard Harmoni Turner. After a successful college career marked by numerous individual and team accomplishments, she hopes to achieve even more in the league. With a draft class filled with star power, Turner will make an immediate impact on any team that takes a chance on her.
Turner is a scoring guard who is not afraid to get a bucket whenever her team needs it. After her 15-point performance in the College All-Star Game, she described her game as unique, highlighting her steadfast determination and her acceptance of being underrated.
“I describe my game as different,” Turner said after the 71-59 loss to Team Miller. “I feel like a lot of people underestimate those (student-athletes) that decide to take the more educational route, and I feel like I’m slept on a lot. At the end of the day, I’m still a dog and that’s something I’m going to live with until I die.”
Turner plays with an underdog mentality, and it’s helped her accomplish a lot during her time at Harvard. In her senior season, she was named Ivy League Player of the Year and the Mid-Major Player of the Year. As Turner reflected on checking those rewards off her goal sheet, she felt grateful but remembered that was a result of her hard work paying off.
“(Those accomplishments were) something that was on my goal sheet since I attended Harvard, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Turner explained. “I feel seen, and I’m appreciative of (the recognition), but at the same time I feel like I earned it, and I worked for it.”
Her hard work and talent didn’t go unnoticed this season, and her mentality will be something WNBA teams value in a player like Turner. While she achieved great things, her college journey was challenging, especially after attending an Ivy League school.
“Being at Harvard was a different transition and different system on and off the court,” Turner explained. “(The change) was tough in the beginning, and that’s something that a lot of people don’t see. They don’t see the days that I’m crying for weeks in my bed, reconsidering going to Harvard, or reconsidering picking up a basketball again.”
Although she struggled to begin her college career with the Crimson, Turner grew as a person by sticking with the program. She felt proud of herself for persevering through the struggles, and hopes her journey inspires everyone who watches her.
“I’m proud of myself for persevering through (the hard times) because mental health (importance) is real,” she said. “Being able to break through those barriers is (part of) my story to inspire a lot of people that look up to me.”
The adversity Turner went through with the Crimson is meant to serve as an inspiration to anyone who watched her succeed. After accomplishing so much with the program, she wants to be remembered as someone who paved the way for players who want to thrive while pursuing a better education.
“I hope I can open a different path for all the girls who reconsider those Power Five (schools),” Turner said. “You’re getting a deeper education at Harvard.”
As she joins the WNBA, her college career hopes to serve as a reminder that you can still have success while gaining a top education. Turner's next stop is the draft, where she hopes a team values her three-level scoring ability and her desire to prove wrong. She spoke about her excitement about playing in the league and joining a team that believes in her.
“I can’t wait to play at the next level,” Turner said. “I know once I get that chance (in the league), my good is going to outweigh my bad. I hope that I get a coach who believes in me.”
With the WNBA draft fast approaching, the players entering their names are ready to receive that life-changing call. No matter where Turner is selected, she will always thrive having a chip on her shoulder. Her impact at the next level will not go unnoticed, and she is ready to prove herself to any organization that takes a chance on her.
Harmoni Turner -Harvard Crimson