Keishana Washington’s legacy as one of Drexel’s best basketball players cemented with jersey retirement

Keishana Washington, less than a year after playing her final game as a member of Drexel women’s basketball team, had her jersey retired Wednesday in the Dragons home opener against Norfolk State, being represented as one of school’s best players.

“It’s surreal,” Washington said. “I knew it was going to happen; I saw the banner before it was unveiled. But seeing it up there, it’s a completely different feeling.”

In her five years with the program, Washington finished second on Drexel’s all-time leading scoring list with 2,363 points and third in the nation with 27.7 points in her final year.

Washington, a 5-foot-7 guard, set sights early on about leaving a legacy at Drexel.

“I did say my sophomore [year] to Stacey [Weiss, associate head coach] that I wanted my jersey in the rafters,” Washington said. “So to have that actually happen, it’s a proud moment for sure.”

Washington, a native of Ontario, Canada, came to Drexel when Denise Dillon, now at Villanova, was at the helm. She told Washington that they never had a Canadian-born player a part of Drexel’s program.

Now, Washington, who plays professionally with Torun in Poland, hopes to serve as a role model for other athletes coming from Canada to the U.S., showing that they can also compete at the next level.

Her jersey in the rafters is a demonstration of that growth.

“To see how far I’ve come and to see how far Canada basketball has grown, there’s going to be plenty more,” Washington said.

Her second home is Philly, where her name will now reside forever in the Daskalakis Athletic Center. And Washington knows how important that is.

“It’s a chilling moment to know that my name is a part of it,” Washington said. “I feel great. I’m going to take some time to really reflect on what I’ve accomplished here.”