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The Arizona women’s basketball team announced another big addition from the transfer portal on Thursday with the signing of Alabama post Ariyah Copeland.
The 6-foot-3 senior averaged 14.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game with the Crimson Tide this season. She was No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC in field goal percentage (60.9) and has posted 16 career double-doubles.
A Columbus, Georgia native, Copeland initially picked LSU as her new destination but changed course after Tigers head coach Nikki Fargas resigned.
Copeland joins a loaded Arizona frontcourt that consists of seniors Cate Reese and Semaj Smith, Vanderbilt transfer Koi Love, sophomore Lauren Ware, and top-100 freshman Aaronette Vonleh.
Love, who has three years of eligibility left, averaged 20.8 points and 9.6 rebounds in a shortened 2020-21 season. Adding her, Copeland and Vonleh gives Arizona no excuse not to be a more dominant team in the paint next season. They were eighth in the Pac-12 in rebounds this season.
Here’s a look at Arizona’s scholarship count now that Copeland is in the fold. Note that Sam Thomas does not count towards it because she is a returning senior.
- Cate Reese
- Helena Pueyo
- Bendu Yeaney
- Shaina Pellington
- Lauren Ware
- Semaj Smith
- Madi Conner
- Aaronette Vonleh
- Gisela Sanchez
- Anna Gret Asi
- Derin Erdogan
- Koi Love (Vanderbilt transfer)
- Taylor Chavez (Oregon transfer)
- Ariyah Copeland (Alabama transfer)
- OPEN
Barring an outgoing transfer, it’s unlikely Arizona will add any more players since Adia Barnes has often said 15 is too many to keep happy.