Clèante is Competitive By Nature
May 06, 2026 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Late last week, Tèa Clèante left Kansas State and returned home in Dunkerque, France, to catch a break before preparing with the French national team for the European Championships in July. This is nothing new for the 5-foot-9 combo guard, who is a standout on the big stage on the international circuit. Playing for the French national team since she was 17, she helped France to a pair of gold medals in 2024. In the gold medal campaign at the 2024 FIBA under-18 Women's EuroBasket, she averaged 13.3 points, 3.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game. The previous year, she averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds.
"Yeah, I'm very competitive," she says, chuckling over the phone in a deep French accent. "I've learned a lot with the national team. I'm very competitive because it's who I am. I give everything I have.
"And I'm going to give everything I have for Kansas State."
Funny thing is, before Clèante, a sophomore, even scores a basket for the Wildcats, she likely will have already shared a basketball court with a couple of her new K-State teammates in international competition this summer — sophomore point guard Gina Garcia (Spain), freshman forward Shaila Nde (Spain) and sophomore center Ivona Scekic (Slovenia).
It's K-State's penchant for bringing in international players that played a part in attracting Clèante to the Wildcats in the first place. The 2026-27 roster will feature international players from Belgium, France, Slovenia and Spain.
"I was told K-State was very interested in me, so we had a Zoom call, and then I took a visit to K-State," Clèante says. "My goal was to find a place that had a good vibe where we could win, and K-State is the perfect place for me. Plus, there are a lot of European players on the team, which I like. It's crazy that I'm playing against these girls in Europe, and then we're all going to be teammates at K-State. It's nice."
Clèante comes to K-State after her freshman season at Penn State in which she averaged 8.7 points on 40.6% (93-of-229) shooting, including 30.2% (33-of-116) on 3-pointers, and she scored in double figures in 10 games, including a career-high 23 points at Saint Joseph's. She also hit at least two 3-pointers in nine games, including five 3-pointers against Saint Joseph's, and had 80 assists, averaging 2.9 assists per game.
"I really liked my experience at Penn State," Clèante says. "The American game is different than the European game because it's faster on the courts. Here, if you can shoot, you shoot, and if you can pass, you pass. It's faster in the U.S. I had to learn the new terms that we don't use in France. I had learned a little bit of English in France because I was playing with an American player. My experience was very different, and you have to be able to adjust yourself.
"Against Saint Joseph's, I just felt very confident. I feel very confident right now. My teammates made good passes to me, and I was just confident. The momentum was very nice playing with my teammates."
Clèante's basketball journey began when she was 11 years old. She tried volleyball, she says she was terrible at classical dance, and she tried competitive swimming. All those activities went into the tank. But her love for basketball was immediate. At age 11, she began playing competitive basketball, and she always played against older players.
"I knew if I continued to work hard, I could do something big," she says.
The journey to the United States began two years ago. She attended a three-year high school that harbored a women's basketball team that featured the best players around.
"After my final year, I knew I had to make a decision whether to play professionally in France or go to the United States," she says. "I decided to stay in France to play professionally, and afterward, I was like, 'I need to see something new.' So, I came to the United States. When you're a professional playing two times per week, it's very hard to study in France. Here, I know you have to make good grades. In France, if you struggle in the classroom, it doesn't really matter."
She took four visits to colleges in the United States, deciding upon Penn State because of her love for the coaching staff and the vibe throughout the basketball program.
After the season, she wanted something more and entered the transfer portal.
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie came calling.
"He told me that he wanted me to have responsibility and to be a big part of this team," Clèante says. "What I really appreciated, too, is that he really knew how I played, and he wanted me to do what I did well. I'm not a player who just does one thing well. I do a lot of things well. That's what he saw on tape and I really appreciated that.
"I'm a very fast player and one of my biggest qualities is that I can drive and, also, I'm a very good 3-point shooter. That's why it's hard to guard me."
As for Clèante's visit to K-State?
"I really liked the facility and that everything is really close by, and I really appreciated how nice the people were," she says. "I really felt the vibe, and that's really important. I was trying to find a place with a lot of responsibility, and I want to be a leader and help my teammates. I know how it is, and I have experience, so it's important for me to help my teammates by being a leader next season. I also want a diploma and to gradate, and K-State is a good place for this because you have to have balance."
She's currently trying to maintain balance the best she can back home. She's spending time with her family and friends, and she's decompressing at the beach. She's enjoying these weeks before practice for the French national team fires up in June.
But already Clèante envisions jogging out of the tunnel at Bramlage Coliseum for the first time prior to the 2026-2027 season opener.
"When I run out of the tunnel, I'm just going to be thinking about how grateful I am to be at K-State, because I really like the vibe at K-State and I know the coaches and players are all good people," she says. "I'm grateful for that. And I'm grateful that we have fans who support us. I just want to play basketball and be happy."
In the Little Apple, it appears Clèante has found her happy place.
Late last week, Tèa Clèante left Kansas State and returned home in Dunkerque, France, to catch a break before preparing with the French national team for the European Championships in July. This is nothing new for the 5-foot-9 combo guard, who is a standout on the big stage on the international circuit. Playing for the French national team since she was 17, she helped France to a pair of gold medals in 2024. In the gold medal campaign at the 2024 FIBA under-18 Women's EuroBasket, she averaged 13.3 points, 3.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game. The previous year, she averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds.
"Yeah, I'm very competitive," she says, chuckling over the phone in a deep French accent. "I've learned a lot with the national team. I'm very competitive because it's who I am. I give everything I have.
"And I'm going to give everything I have for Kansas State."
Funny thing is, before Clèante, a sophomore, even scores a basket for the Wildcats, she likely will have already shared a basketball court with a couple of her new K-State teammates in international competition this summer — sophomore point guard Gina Garcia (Spain), freshman forward Shaila Nde (Spain) and sophomore center Ivona Scekic (Slovenia).
It's K-State's penchant for bringing in international players that played a part in attracting Clèante to the Wildcats in the first place. The 2026-27 roster will feature international players from Belgium, France, Slovenia and Spain.
"I was told K-State was very interested in me, so we had a Zoom call, and then I took a visit to K-State," Clèante says. "My goal was to find a place that had a good vibe where we could win, and K-State is the perfect place for me. Plus, there are a lot of European players on the team, which I like. It's crazy that I'm playing against these girls in Europe, and then we're all going to be teammates at K-State. It's nice."
Clèante comes to K-State after her freshman season at Penn State in which she averaged 8.7 points on 40.6% (93-of-229) shooting, including 30.2% (33-of-116) on 3-pointers, and she scored in double figures in 10 games, including a career-high 23 points at Saint Joseph's. She also hit at least two 3-pointers in nine games, including five 3-pointers against Saint Joseph's, and had 80 assists, averaging 2.9 assists per game.
"I really liked my experience at Penn State," Clèante says. "The American game is different than the European game because it's faster on the courts. Here, if you can shoot, you shoot, and if you can pass, you pass. It's faster in the U.S. I had to learn the new terms that we don't use in France. I had learned a little bit of English in France because I was playing with an American player. My experience was very different, and you have to be able to adjust yourself.
"Against Saint Joseph's, I just felt very confident. I feel very confident right now. My teammates made good passes to me, and I was just confident. The momentum was very nice playing with my teammates."
Clèante's basketball journey began when she was 11 years old. She tried volleyball, she says she was terrible at classical dance, and she tried competitive swimming. All those activities went into the tank. But her love for basketball was immediate. At age 11, she began playing competitive basketball, and she always played against older players.
"I knew if I continued to work hard, I could do something big," she says.
The journey to the United States began two years ago. She attended a three-year high school that harbored a women's basketball team that featured the best players around.
"After my final year, I knew I had to make a decision whether to play professionally in France or go to the United States," she says. "I decided to stay in France to play professionally, and afterward, I was like, 'I need to see something new.' So, I came to the United States. When you're a professional playing two times per week, it's very hard to study in France. Here, I know you have to make good grades. In France, if you struggle in the classroom, it doesn't really matter."
She took four visits to colleges in the United States, deciding upon Penn State because of her love for the coaching staff and the vibe throughout the basketball program.
After the season, she wanted something more and entered the transfer portal.
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie came calling.
"He told me that he wanted me to have responsibility and to be a big part of this team," Clèante says. "What I really appreciated, too, is that he really knew how I played, and he wanted me to do what I did well. I'm not a player who just does one thing well. I do a lot of things well. That's what he saw on tape and I really appreciated that.
"I'm a very fast player and one of my biggest qualities is that I can drive and, also, I'm a very good 3-point shooter. That's why it's hard to guard me."
As for Clèante's visit to K-State?
"I really liked the facility and that everything is really close by, and I really appreciated how nice the people were," she says. "I really felt the vibe, and that's really important. I was trying to find a place with a lot of responsibility, and I want to be a leader and help my teammates. I know how it is, and I have experience, so it's important for me to help my teammates by being a leader next season. I also want a diploma and to gradate, and K-State is a good place for this because you have to have balance."
She's currently trying to maintain balance the best she can back home. She's spending time with her family and friends, and she's decompressing at the beach. She's enjoying these weeks before practice for the French national team fires up in June.
But already Clèante envisions jogging out of the tunnel at Bramlage Coliseum for the first time prior to the 2026-2027 season opener.
"When I run out of the tunnel, I'm just going to be thinking about how grateful I am to be at K-State, because I really like the vibe at K-State and I know the coaches and players are all good people," she says. "I'm grateful for that. And I'm grateful that we have fans who support us. I just want to play basketball and be happy."
In the Little Apple, it appears Clèante has found her happy place.
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