Former Lady Titan Star Timberlynn Yeast Shines With The Thundering Herd
Samuel Warren
Herald Staff
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Former Mercer County Lady Titan star basketball player Timberlynn Yeast has spent most of the last two seasons forced to watch the game she loves from the sidelines. Yeast was the leading scorer for the Lady Titans from her eighth grade year until she was a junior. Her 20.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in the 2021-2022 season earned her a second-team all-state selection. Unfortunately, just weeks before her senior season, Yeast suffered a knee injury that damaged her ACL and meniscus. She was forced to watch from the bench, but did all she could for her team, and was eventually named the Co-12th Region Player of the Year as the Lady Titans went on to claim their first 12th Region championship in five years.
By that point, Yeast had already committed to the University of Buffalo, but due to some unforeseen circumstances she, and four other former commitments, were released from their NLI. Within two weeks Yeast had found a new home, in Huntington, WV. After starring for the West Virginia Thunder in the Under Armour Association circuit, Yeast had made a second home of West Virginia, and decided to continue her career with the Thundering Herd. Yeast was back on the court for the first time in a long time, but it was short lived. Only a month had passed before the exact same injury that ended her senior season recurred. Repeating any injury can be disheartening, especially an injury as detrimental as a complex knee ligament injury, but Yeast knew it could be done.
Timberlynn Yeast squeezed past two Anderson County defenders during her Freshman season at Mercer County. (Image: Arpan Dixit/the Harrodsburg Herald.)
“I just told myself I’ve done it before, I can do it again, and that kept me going,” said Yeast.
Yeast knew it had to be done, and if possible, done better. She has taken advantage of several types of therapy provided by Marshall, including underwater PT, and dedicated herself to the weight room, which she says has made a massive difference.
After not playing competitive basketball for nearly two years, Yeast was full of nerves before the Thundering Herd’s season opener against Northern Kentucky, the program that gave Yeast her first D-I offer four years ago, but the fear of getting hurt paled in comparison to her excitement to play the game she loves, or the gratitude for her family cheering from the stands.
On Nov. 10, Yeast took advantage of limited minutes and shot 3-3 from the field while grabbing two boards, a steal and an assist in just 11 minutes of action. Now a redshirt freshman, Yeast averages about 10 minutes a game, but takes advantage of every moment. Yeast dominated in the month of December, averaging six points per game. Against Davis & Elkins, Yeast scored eight points while grabbing three steals and assisting one basket. Her .586 shooting percentage is the second best on the team. Now that the Thundering Herd are getting to a critical point of conference play, Yeast approaches each opportunity differently.
“Now it’s pretty calming, just getting my mind right before the game and making sure I’m prepared– knowing that I’ve been working to get back and taking advantage of every opportunity– [and] trusting God through it all,” said Yeast.
Now that she is living her student-athlete lifestyle to the fullest, Yeast says she is happy to be at this stage in her journey.
“I’ve enjoyed it, especially being in Huntington, a small college town that loves Marshall athletics,” said Yeast.
When she’s not going to each Thundering Herd sporting event and bonding with her teammates, Yeast is hard at work on the court, working to regain complete trust in her body.
“I hope to get back to attacking the basket at a high level with no fear; trusting my knee, and staying confident in my shot knowing that I have put the work in,” said Yeast.
Yeast and the Thundering Herd play next on Saturday, Jan. 18, against the traveling Appalachian State Mountaineers. Tip off is scheduled for 1p.m. Nearly all of Marshall’s remaining Sun Belt Conference games this season will be viewable on ESPN+.
