As she prepares for the next chapter of her professional basketball career in Germany, Emanuel County native Prencis Harden is taking time to reflect on the people, perseverance and purpose that carried her from a small-town gym in Swainsboro to the international stage.
In just a few weeks, the Emanuel County Institute graduate will once again board a plane, leaving behind the familiar roads of home to begin another professional season overseas after an outstanding rookie campaign in Switzerland.
Before that journey begins, however, Harden returned home. During a recent visit to the Harden family home in Swainsboro, she and her mother, Melissa Carlyle, reflected on the path that carried her from Emanuel County Institute to Kennesaw State University and now to professional basketball in Europe.
Throughout the conversation, one theme surfaced again and again: no one reaches success alone.
When asked what memories immediately came to mind from her days at Emanuel County Institute, Harden didn’t hesitate.
“Basketball,” she said with a smile. “That’s really what I remember the most.”
Although she had always loved the game, Harden believes everything changed after middle school when she began playing AAU basketball and training consistently.
“After middle school is when I realized I had the potential to be a great player,” she said. “That’s when I understood basketball could take me somewhere.”
It wasn’t long before the rest of Georgia noticed.
From 2017 to 2021, Harden developed into one of Georgia’s premier Class A players at Emanuel County Institute. She surpassed the 1,000-point mark during her junior season and entered her senior year as a preseason Class A All-State selection. Along the way, she earned GHSA Class A Public First-Team All-State honors, Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class A South All-State recognition, Region Most Valuable Player honors and multiple First-Team All-Region selections, establishing herself as one of the state’s top Class A players.
While the awards recognized her talent, Harden says they would not have been possible without the people who invested in her.
“My mom, for one,” she said. “She put everything into me with AAU, traveling, trainers and everything.”
She also credits Quan McKinney of A.T.A.P. Training for helping develop her game during those early years, along with her AAU coaches, who exposed her to higher levels of competition.
From 2021 through 2025, Harden continued her career at Kennesaw State University, where another mentor helped prepare her for the next level.
Head coach Octavia Blue, who brought both WNBA and overseas playing experience to the Owls’ program, became one of the biggest influences in Harden’s development.
“Coach Blue knew my goals,” Harden said. “She had overseas experience and WNBA experience. She helped bring me out of my shell and prepared me for where I wanted to go.”
Back home this summer, Harden has continued training with Quan while also working alongside former NBA and overseas professional Tony Mitchell, another Emanuel County native who has shared valuable insight as she prepares for her second professional season.
“I’m just trying to learn from people who’ve already done it,” Harden said.
Listening nearby, Melissa Carlyle smiled as she reflected on her daughter’s rise.
She remembered a little girl spending hours dribbling beneath the family carport, shooting baskets and recording herself while practicing.
“I always knew she had it,” Carlyle said.
Her support extended far beyond cheering from the stands.
After games, the conversations weren’t about how many points Prencis scored.
“They were about getting better,” Carlyle said. “I’d tell her, ‘You’re better than that. There’s more in you than you think.’”
She invested countless hours driving to AAU tournaments, paying for trainers and making sure her daughter had every opportunity to chase her dream.
“I made it my business to make sure she had everything she needed to continue doing what she loved.”
That support proved especially important when Harden faced one of the toughest adjustments of her college career.
“The biggest adjustment was my habits,” Harden said. “I learned I couldn’t just practice when coaches told us to practice. I had to get in the gym on my own.”
College also humbled her.
“I couldn’t just think I was so good and expect to start. I had to work every single day.”
Confidence became one of her greatest challenges.
“There were times I’d wonder why I couldn’t get around somebody or why I was getting pushed around,” she said. “I learned confidence comes from repetition. The more work you put in, the more confidence you build.”
Early in her college career, Harden even considered entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Carlyle encouraged her to stay the course.
“I kept telling her, ‘Stay where you are. Your name is going to get out there.’”
Looking back, that decision changed everything.
Harden finished her collegiate career as one of the most accomplished players in Kennesaw State history. During her senior season, she started all 31 games, led the Owls in 13 statistical categories and earned First-Team All-Conference USA honors. She was named Conference USA Player of the Week five times while setting the program’s Division I single-season records with 16 double-doubles and 234 defensive rebounds. She also became one of only nine players in school Division I history to collect more than 500 career rebounds while finishing second in program history with 478 points in a single season.
Her collegiate success opened another door.
In 2025, Harden signed her first professional contract with Riva Basket in Switzerland, becoming the first female basketball player from Emanuel County to compete professionally overseas and creating a path for future generations of athletes from the county.
Her rookie season quickly proved she belonged.
In 32 games with Riva Basket, Harden averaged 30.8 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while totaling 985 points and 416 rebounds. According to her mother, Melissa Carlyle, Harden’s remarkable rookie campaign also earned her NLBW MVP honors and helped open the door to the next step of her professional career in Germany.
Yet despite everything she has accomplished on the court, basketball wasn’t the first thing on Harden’s mind when asked what she’s focused on today.
“My biggest focus right now is my mental health,” she said. “Playing overseas has taught me how important it is to stay in a positive mindset. You’re away from your family, traveling all the time and living in places you’ve never been before. I’ve also been focused on keeping my body healthy, eating better and continuing to grow.”
For many people, professional basketball appears glamorous.
Harden says the reality is much different.
“It’s teaching me how to grow up,” she said. “You’re by yourself. You can’t call your mom every five seconds. You have to figure things out on your own.”
She says one of the biggest challenges overseas wasn’t basketball at all.
“The language barrier was probably the biggest thing,” she said. “Everything is different. The food, the culture, the way people live and even the way basketball is played.”
Those experiences have changed her perspective.
“It’s teaching me how to become comfortable being uncomfortable.”
While she continues pursuing goals of playing in the EuroLeague and eventually earning an opportunity in the WNBA, Harden also hopes to one day give back by coaching and helping develop young players.
When asked what advice she would give the next generation growing up in Emanuel County, Harden paused before offering a message she hopes every young person remembers.
“Don’t minimize yourself,” she said. “A lot of people make themselves smaller because of what other people think or because they’re afraid to dream bigger. Don’t do that.”
She said believing in yourself begins with refusing to shrink your dreams to fit someone else’s expectations. Instead, she encouraged young people to embrace who they are and trust the unique gifts God has given them.
“Be yourself,” she said. “You don’t have to play like everybody else. You don’t have to look like everybody else. Just be authentically you.”
She also stressed that success on the court begins with success in the classroom.
“You have to graduate. You have to do your work. Without the education part, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Today, Prencis Harden has gone from a standout at Emanuel County Institute to one of the most accomplished players in Kennesaw State history and now to a professional career overseas. In becoming the first female basketball player from Emanuel County to compete professionally abroad, she has opened doors for future generations of athletes who dare to dream beyond their hometown.
As Germany awaits, the countries may change, the uniforms may change and the competition may grow tougher, but the foundation remains the same. A determined young woman from Emanuel County who refused to let a small-town beginning define the size of her dreams.
For the young girl who once spent countless hours dribbling beneath the family carport in Swainsboro, the dream has become reality. And wherever basketball takes her next, Prencis Harden will carry a piece of Emanuel County with her, proving that dreams are never measured by the size of the town they begin in, but by the courage to chase them.
From Emanuel County to Europe, Prencis Harden continues to build her professional basketball career
Harden drives to the basket during her rookie season with Riva Basket, where she emerged as one of Switzerland’s top players
Harden’s standout rookie season earned NLBW Most Valuable Player honors, capping one of the most successful first professional seasons by an Emanuel County athlete.
