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Reaching the millennium mark is a major accomplishment at any level in sports. On Thursday, Point celebrated a player cementing her legacy amongst some of the greatest athletes to come through the university. 

Mataea Boyd reached 1,000 points before the Lady Skyhawks went on holiday break. The team waited to celebrate Boyd’s accomplishment until Thursday in front of the home fans at West Point Park Gymnasium. 

“I got it in high school too, and my goal was to get it in college,” Boyd said. “I’m just proud of myself.”

The path to 1,000 points was far from linear for Boyd. After high school, Boyd attended Florida State College in Jacksonville. With the Blue Wave, Boyd began taking a backseat on the offensive side. 

Boyd had always been a scorer, but she found herself being less aggressive as a college athlete. Boyd averaged just under eight points per game in three seasons with Florida State College at Jacksonville. 

Then, Boyd decided to enter the transfer portal and everything changed. Boyd transferred to Point University with two years of eligibility remaining and immediately found herself at home. 

Boyd quickly fell in love with the school and community and became more comfortable in her abilities as a basketball player. Boyd believed that transferring was the best decision for her because of the community she found in West Point. 

“I would say the people,” Boyd said. “The people are very welcoming. It’s a little school but [there’s] a lot of love.” 

Boyd ended up being a complete steal for the Skyhawks. Boyd has averaged 15 points per game in two seasons with Point, and she was a major factor in the team winning the conference championship last season. 

Wooley and the rest of the staff immediately knew the type of player that Boyd could be on the court. Wooley recruited Boyd, and then immediately pushed hard to be a major part of Point’s offense. 

“Over the past year and a half, she has just come out of her shell,” Point coach Tory Wooley said. “We saw something in her when we were recruiting her and I said she’s special. Myself and the assistant coaches have been pouring into her, her teammates have been pouring into her, and she is becoming one of the best players in our league.” 

Wooley has played an important role in helping Boyd become the player and person that she is today. Wooley took a personal approach with Boyd and constantly let her know that she mattered and was cared for. 

“He’s always supporting me,” Boyd said. “He’s always telling me that he loves me. If I’m doing good or bad, he still feels the same about me.”

As a fifth-year senior, Boyd has taken a larger leadership role this season. Boyd has always been a leader thanks to her dynamic abilities on the hardwood. Boyd is quiet by nature and has always chosen to lead by example. 

Wooley, Boyd’s teammates, and the rest of the coaching staff have pushed Boyd to take the next step as a leader. Boyd gives Wooley credit for challenging her and pushing her to become a better leader. 

“I’ve always been quiet,” Boyd said. “I always just led on the court. This year, I’m more of a vocal leader because I’m the captain. Everybody comes to me and they trust me. It was hard because I don’t like to talk. He does it every day, but it makes me better.”

After reaching 1,000 points and winning a conference championship, many athletes would be settled with those accomplishments. Boyd is still looking forward to more accomplishments before her career ends after this season. 

“I want to be Player of the Year,” Boyd said. “I want to get another ring and anything else that comes with it.”

Basketball was not always a passion for Boyd, but it quickly became an outlet for her as she slowly blossomed into a dynamic athlete. 

“I was just playing just to play,” Boyd said. “My high school coach took me under his wing, and I just fell in love with it. It keeps me going. I know if I’m having a bad day, I get to go to practice and just play.” 

After this season, Boyd will be looking towards going into nursing school and eventually working in the medical field. 

Although Boyd is ready for the next steps this season and after college, few at Point are going to forget about her impact on the school and program. 

“It’s special,” Wooley said. “At the end of the day, players put the ball in the hole and they win games, and she has done both of those things. When she graduates in May, she’s going to leave a legacy here. Not only for our basketball program but [also] our university.”