Baton Rouge, La. – Kinaa Graham, a blue chip from Austin, Texas, has signed on with the LSU women’s tennis team in the class of 2023, head coach Taylor Fogleman announced on Thursday.
“Chris (Simpson) and I are absolutely thrilled to have Kinaa join us here at LSU,” head coach Taylor Fogleman said. “She comes from an incredible family and we are so grateful to her parents, Winthrop and Ivonne, for their trust in us. With Kinaa, we are getting a world class player and person who is extremely driven to achieve her goals both athletically and academically. In addition to her competitiveness, the grace, humility and sportsmanship she has makes her one of a kind. We can’t wait to see her flourish in Purple & Gold.”
Graham is the top ranked player from the state of Texas and has ranked as high as No. 21 nationally according to tennisrecruiting.net. She’s been a key player for Westwood High School during her three years at the school, helping her team win the 2020 6A state title as a freshman and winning the 2021 6A mixed doubles state title her sophomore year. Her junior season saw her crowned the 2022 6A state singles champion in a postseason run that saw her only drop three games across three matches, including a perfect 6-0, 6-0 win in the championship match.
Outside of her accomplishment in high school, Graham has also had success in various USTA junior events. Most recently, she earned five singles wins over some of the best U-18 players in the nation, including a win over the then-No. 10 junior in the world, Clervie Ngounoue, en route to a quarterfinal finish at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls U18 National Championship in August. Additionally, she has a 31-12 record when facing players ranked four stars or higher according to tennisrecruiting.net.
Graham marks the first signing in the class of 2023 for Fogleman and his second signing since taking over the program in June. She is set to enroll in the fall ahead of the 2023-24 season.