As a Redshirt Junior (2020-21): ACC Player of the Week (3/1).
Started 21 of 22 games played in 2020-21…Led the Canes in rebounding (5.4) and ranked second in scoring (10.7)…Earned player of the week honors after averaging 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and shooting 60 percent from the field over two games…Totaled 10 double-digit efforts in 2020-21…Tallied a team-best five 20-point outings…Recorded new career highs in scoring (27), made field goals (11) and minutes (39) against Virginia Tech at the ACC Tournament (3/4)…Harden’s 11 made field goals against Virginia Tech were the most by a Cane since Beatrice Mompremier tallied 12 at DePaul on Nov. 23, 2019…Paced the Canes with four double-doubles in 2020-21, good for eighth (tied) in the ACC…Averaged double-figures (10.7) for the first time in her career…Scored in double-figures in four straight games to finish the season.
As a Redshirt Sophomore (2019-20): Started 15 of 25 games played this season…Earned her first career start against Syracuse (1/12)…Ranked fourth on the team in rebounding at 3.9 boards/game…Totaled four double-digit outings, the only four of her career…Poured in a career-high 15 points against NC State (2/20), 10 of which came in the third quarter alone…Knocked down a career-high three 3-pointers at Virginia Tech (2/2), shooting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc…Tallied the first double-digit game of her career at UNC (1/16), totaling 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting…In games that she started, averaged 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest…Recorded back-to-back double-digit games at Virginia Tech (2/2) and against Duke (2/9).
As a Sophomore (2018-19): Transferred from West Virginia University … Sat out season due to NCAA transfer rules.
As a Freshman at West Virginia (2017-18): Played in 35 of 37 games … Averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game, shooting 44.3 percent from the floor … Made her collegiate debut against Central Connecticut State (11/10), notching seven points and a season-high four steals in 18 minutes … Tallied co-season-highs in points (eight), rebounds (six), blocks (two) and free throws made (four) in 18 minutes of action versus Sacramento State (11/14) … Totaled six points on 3-of-3 shooting against North Florida (11/19), adding two steals and tying her season highs in rebounds (six) and blocks (two) … Logged six points and two steals in a season-high 20 minutes versus Coppin State (12/10) … Posted a season-high-tying eight points against Radford (12/16), finishing 4-of-4 at the line and notching two assists in 18 minutes … Tallied a season-best three steals in 18 minutes of action versus Morgan State (12/18) … Recorded two assists and a co-season-high two blocks against Morehead State (12/21) … Scored six points on 3-of-3 shooting and added two steals at eighth-ranked Texas (12/31) … Scored five points at Oklahoma (2/3) … At Kansas (2/14), scored six points and shot 4-of-9 at the stripe, tying her season high in makes and setting a top mark in attempts … In the WNIT Round of 64 against Bucknell, equaled her season bests in points (eight), made field goals (four) and steals (four) … Again scored eight points and made four field goals, this time on five attempts, in the WNIT Round of 32 versus St. Joseph’s (3/18) … Made her final appearance for the Mountaineers against Virginia Tech (3/28) in the WNIT semifinals.
High School: Graduated from Morgan Park High School … Listed by ProspectsNation.com as a four-star recruit … Ranked by espnW HoopGurlz as a three-star prospect and the No. 19 wing player in the class … McDonald’s All-American Game nominee … Averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior, leading her team to a regional title … Finished No. 11 in Illinois Ms. Basketball voting … Earned Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette First Team All-State, Chicago Tribune Second Team All-State and USA TODAY All-USA Illinois Second Team honors … Also garnered IBCA 3A/4A Third Team All-State and Daily Southtown First Team All-Area distinction … As a junior, averaged 13.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game … Received Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette Second Team All-State, IBCA 3A/4A Second Team All-State and USA TODAY All-USA Illinois Second Team accolades… Also logged Chicago Tribune All-State Special Mention and Daily Southtown Second Team All-Area honors … Played varsity all four years of high school, including at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep as a freshman … Played on the Nike EYBL circuit with the Mac Irvin Fire … Multiple NFL and MLB players also attended Morgan Park, as did Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to go to space, and musician Jermih.
Personal: Full name is Destiny Lorraine Harden … Nickname is Des … Born Sept. 24, 1998 … Parents are Lamar Harden and Tyesa Chambers … Has an older sister (Daija), an older brother (Daijon), two younger sisters (Dovion and Demaria) and a younger brother (Darius) … Favorite athlete is Dwyane Wade … Best sports memory is scoring a game-winning basket in overtime of an AAU game in North Carolina in 2016 with Katie Meier watching … Chose Miami because the coaches made her feel comfortable and she felt it would help her go far as a basketball player … Committed to Miami over Marquette, among many others.
