Top rebounder Blackwell latest to join Baylor

Aijha Blackwell, who was the second-leading rebounder in Division I this previous season for the Missouri girls’s basketball workforce, is transferring to Baylor.

Blackwell, a 6-foot guard, averaged 15.4 factors and 13.0 rebounds in her junior season at Missouri and was a second-team All-SEC choice. However the Tigers missed the NCAA match and misplaced within the first spherical of the WNIT, ending 18-13.

“Our followers noticed firsthand how she will be able to influence the sport together with her physicality, rebounding and total assault mentality when Mizzou performed us in December,” Baylor coach Nicki Collen stated of Blackwell. “She has the flexibility to swing between ahead positions and is a real mismatch for opponents together with her mixture of ability, pace and measurement.

“Aijha desires to proceed to develop her all-around recreation and be pro-ready, and I do know we will help her try this.”

Blackwell, the No. 9 prospect within the Class of 2019, is the third switch this week to decide to Baylor, becoming a member of ahead Dre’una Edwards and Jana Van Gytenbeek. Edwards began her profession at Utah, the place she was Pac-12 Freshman of the Yr in 2019, then transferred to Kentucky. She sat out 2019-20 and performed the final pwo seasons for the Wildcats, averaging 13.2 factors and seven.2 rebounds in 53 video games. Van Gytenbeek spent the previous two seasons as a reserve guard at Stanford, successful a nationwide championship with the Cardinal in 2021.

Baylor gained the Large 12 regular-season title this previous season however fell within the convention match title recreation to Texas and was upset by South Dakota within the second spherical of the NCAA match. The Bears misplaced three starters off that 28-7 workforce: submit gamers NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo and guard Jordan Lewis, all of whom had been chosen within the WNBA draft earlier this month.

Smith and Egbo, each first-round picks, mixed to common practically 20 rebounds per recreation this previous season, so Blackwell and Edwards ought to assist fill that gap.