Women's Basketball | 8/13/2025 3:45:00 PM
Warsaw, POLAND – Jazmin Harris, who derived Aggie Pride from her two years in Greensboro playing for the North Carolina A&T Aggies women's basketball team, went all the way to China to face someone who starred in college at a neighboring state.
That opponent was Kamilla Cardoso, a star at the University of South Carolina who was selected third overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. Harris played against Cardoso earlier this year in the Chinese WCBA as the former A&T post player saw action for the Guangdong Vermillion Birds. Guangdong is a province on the north shore of the South China Sea, with a population exceeding 120 million people.
"The best competition since I have played overseas," Harris said in a phone interview about her stint in China. "How they play … it is not too different than Europe. I was not too shocked with (the style) of how they played" in China.
Harris, a 6-foot-3 center, played for the Aggies from 2021-23, then began her professional career in Greece during the 2023-24 campaign. An impressive performance in Turkey early in the 2024-25 season led to a spot in China.
"I'm like a proud parent. Even though Jaz didn't start out college here she's from this area. Seeing her be able to live out her dreams and play a small role is special to me. She never wavered from her dreams and continues to write her story," A&T women's basketball head coach Tarrell Robinson wrote.
In nine games with Gallardo in the top Turkish league, she scored 21.9 points per contest and hauled down 8.6 boards per outing. In a game in December, she made all 13 of her field goal attempts, recording 29 points and 17 rebounds. On January 3, she had 13 points and five rebounds in a 90-76 loss to Canakkale.
"The biggest adjustment for me … the rules are somewhat different overseas," Harris said. "In Euro leagues, you get an extra step sometimes. It is physical, too. You might not get the call like you do in the States."
Harris averaged a team-high 13.2 points per contest during A&T's 2022-23 season after playing 29 games and making 19 starts. Harris also pulled down 7.3 boards per contest, leading A&T to an 18-12 record overall and a 12-6 mark in the CAA. After graduating from Eastern Guilford High School, she signed to play for the Charlotte 49ers collegiately before transferring to the Aggies program. She averaged 13.1 points and 6.1 boards per contest in her first season under Robinson in 2021-22.
DIFFERENCE MAKER
"Jaz made me a better coach during her time here. She was a post with the ability to stretch the floor," said Robinson. "With that being said, I had to find creative ways to get her in spots that showcased that ability. She is a walking bucket. Her confidence is her greatest strength. She was a major contributor to our successful transition in conferences from the MEAC to the Big South to the CAA."
Then Harris began her pro career.
"After I graduated from A&T, I decided to go into the WNBA draft and put my name out there," Harris said. "I did not get drafted, so I said, 'Let me find an agent.' I had a couple of agents contact me – like four or five. I narrowed it down to one – he is actually from Greece."
That is Vasilis Giapalakis of the VnG Hoops Basketball Agency.
"He was able to get me to Greece at the end of September in 2023. I played to the end of December with one team, then went with another team to finish off the season," Harris said.
Her first team was in Athens, and she finished the season with a team in Thessaloniki. "First was Athens – I loved it. It is a beautiful city," said Harris, who has a degree in liberal studies. "My second team was in Thessaloniki – another beautiful city."
Harris played three games in China in January before suffering a slight back injury in practice. Not wanting to take any chances, she returned home to North Carolina to see a doctor before continuing the season in China or waiting to play overseas in the 2025-26 season.
During that time, she was able to attend her alma mater's game on February 9 as the Aggies lost at home by four points to Campbell in conference action.
In China, only two foreigners were allowed on the court for each team during the first three quarters. For the fourth quarter, only one foreigner could play for each team, allowing each team to have four Chinese players on the court down the stretch.
"The culture is very different," Harris said of China. "The complete opposite of the States. If you want to pay for something, it is all electronic. The food, I love the food. I liked Chinese food anyway."
EUROPE CALLING
Harris made her first trip to Europe before her freshman season of college, as Charlotte went to Spain for 10 days to play local clubs and see the sights.
"That was great," said Harris of the trip that included stops in Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona.
Harris credits Robinson and others for her development once she transferred from Charlotte.
"I definitely think they prepared me very well for my career, just growing as a learning about myself better, and overall being smart on the court," Harris said. "A&T helped me with that, coming to a family environment."
She was also able to play in her hometown for an HBCU.
"I thought that was a great opportunity to play for my hometown team and I take pride in an HBCU," she added. "What (HBCUs) have done to grow is something. You don't see a lot of women in the WNBA from HBCUs, and I am trying to change that. That is definitely a goal of mine, and I hope to get that opportunity in the next few years or so."
So far, she has started off well, playing in some of the top foreign leagues in the world.
Editor's note: Virginia native David Driver is the author of "Hoop Dreams in Europe: American Basketball Players Building Careers Overseas." He is also the former sports editor of papers in Baltimore and Virginia and has interviewed American men and women hoopsters in more than 15 countries for stories for Division I websites, alumni magazines, and major US papers. Driver, who has lived in Hungary and currently resides in Poland, has covered the CAA for more than 30 years and can be reached at daytondavid.com and davidsdriver@aol.com.
