Sina King

Classroom

King graduated with a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from the University of Akron in the spring of 2014. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in exercise physiology, which she is on track to complete next summer. The redshirt senior maintained a 3.70 undergraduate GPA, is a Dean’s List honoree and has been named twice to the Mid-American Conference All-Academic Team during her career.

Character

Everything was normal for King heading into her senior year in 2013-14, until it wasn’t. Last August, King was diagnosed with a rare blood protein deficiency she didn’t know she had, which caused blood clots to form in her lungs and right leg. She was forced to sit out her entire senior season as her condition was closely monitored, and she could only cheer from the sidelines when her team won its first MAC Championship and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. An All-Conference candidate, King would have been part of the 2014 senior class that left Akron with the most wins of any class to come through the program. Still, King never missed a practice or a game, made every road trip with the team and worked out twice as hard to get ready for the 2014-15 season once she was cleared to compete in early spring.

Community

King has averaged 27 hours of community service per season for each of the last four years as a member of the Akron women’s basketball team. She regularly takes time out of her day to read to elementary school children in the Akron Public Schools system and volunteer at Akron Children’s Hospital and local nursing homes. Around the holidays, King and her teammates collect toys for underprivileged youth in the area and serve hot meals at local churches in the community. She also has spent time mentoring kids at the YMCA and hosting basketball clinics on UA’s home court.

Competition

A two-time All-MAC selection, King is one of Akron’s top returners in 2014-15 after being sidelined last year due to blood clots. As a junior in 2012-13, she scored in double figures in 31 out of 33 games and posted a team-high 14 double-doubles. King was fourth in the MAC in rebounding (8.7 rpg) and fifth in the MAC in scoring that year (15.0 ppg). She shot 84.9 percent from the free throw line on the season, ranking 32nd in the nation. Prior to 2014-15, King was one of four players on Akron’s roster to surpass 1,000 career points, reaching the milestone in UA’s first round WNIT game at Duquesne (March 21, 2013).