Kellogg Announces Signing of Khyala Ngodu
April 23, 2026 01:48 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University women's basketball head coach Mark Kellogg has announced the addition of Khyala Ngodu (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / UCF / Dillard High School) to a grant-in-aid for the 2026-27 academic year.
"We're thrilled to add Khyala to our Mountaineer Women's Basketball program. She's a proven Big 12 post with great size, toughness and versatility, and her ability to score, rebound and defend at a high level makes her a perfect fit for us," Kellogg said. "She plays with relentless effort and physicality every time she steps on the floor, and her experience will bring immediate value to our team. Khyala is a great addition to WVU both on and off the court."
The 6-foot-3 center from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has played three seasons of collegiate basketball with one season of eligibility left after beginning her career at UCF.
For her career, she has scored 661 points, averaging 7.9 points per game to go along with 522 rebounds and a 6.2 per game mark. She adds 82 assists, 83 steals and 65 blocks in her career.
Last season, the junior competed in 27 games for the Knights, starting in 24 and was named an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention at the end of the season. She ranked second on the team with 10.8 points per game, though paced the Knights with made field goals (113), rebounds per game (7.0), 1.5 steals per game (41), and 1.3 blocks per game (35), each marking career highs. Among Big 12 players, Ngodu ranked sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.4), eighth in blocks per game (1.3) and 10th in rebounds per game (7.0).
Tallied three 20-point double-doubles, becoming one of just four players in the Big 12 to have achieved at least three or more. She was also one of 15 in the conference to have attained five or more double-doubles. Her best game came against Houston, where Ngodu became the only player in the NCAA this season to score 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds, four or more steals and four or more blocks.
During her freshman and sophomore seasons, she averaged 6.1 and 6.9 points per game, respectively, and has averaged 5.9 rebounds per game during both seasons.
In high school, she averaged a double-double as a senior with 14.4 points and 12.1 rebounds at Dillard High School. She also played AAU in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, where she led the league in rebounds and blocks and was also named the MVP at the 2021 Boo Williams Holiday Tournament. Out of high school, she was ranked the No. 7 prospect in the state of Florida.
Ngodu intends to major in psychology while at West Virginia University. She is the daughter of Kyle Simmons and Malikah Ngodu and has five siblings: Niani, Jacsiir, Lahila, Malik and Ilijah.
"We're thrilled to add Khyala to our Mountaineer Women's Basketball program. She's a proven Big 12 post with great size, toughness and versatility, and her ability to score, rebound and defend at a high level makes her a perfect fit for us," Kellogg said. "She plays with relentless effort and physicality every time she steps on the floor, and her experience will bring immediate value to our team. Khyala is a great addition to WVU both on and off the court."
The 6-foot-3 center from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has played three seasons of collegiate basketball with one season of eligibility left after beginning her career at UCF.
For her career, she has scored 661 points, averaging 7.9 points per game to go along with 522 rebounds and a 6.2 per game mark. She adds 82 assists, 83 steals and 65 blocks in her career.
Last season, the junior competed in 27 games for the Knights, starting in 24 and was named an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention at the end of the season. She ranked second on the team with 10.8 points per game, though paced the Knights with made field goals (113), rebounds per game (7.0), 1.5 steals per game (41), and 1.3 blocks per game (35), each marking career highs. Among Big 12 players, Ngodu ranked sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.4), eighth in blocks per game (1.3) and 10th in rebounds per game (7.0).
Tallied three 20-point double-doubles, becoming one of just four players in the Big 12 to have achieved at least three or more. She was also one of 15 in the conference to have attained five or more double-doubles. Her best game came against Houston, where Ngodu became the only player in the NCAA this season to score 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds, four or more steals and four or more blocks.
During her freshman and sophomore seasons, she averaged 6.1 and 6.9 points per game, respectively, and has averaged 5.9 rebounds per game during both seasons.
In high school, she averaged a double-double as a senior with 14.4 points and 12.1 rebounds at Dillard High School. She also played AAU in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, where she led the league in rebounds and blocks and was also named the MVP at the 2021 Boo Williams Holiday Tournament. Out of high school, she was ranked the No. 7 prospect in the state of Florida.
Ngodu intends to major in psychology while at West Virginia University. She is the daughter of Kyle Simmons and Malikah Ngodu and has five siblings: Niani, Jacsiir, Lahila, Malik and Ilijah.
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