Former Arizona forward Trinity Baptiste waived by Indiana Fever

Former Arizona Wildcats forward Trinity Baptiste was waived by the Indiana Fever, the team announced Sunday.

The 24^th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft, Baptiste faced an uphill battle to make the Fever’s 12-woman roster. Baptiste made it through the first week of training camp but apparently didn’t do enough to establish herself as a WNBA-ready player.

Baptiste joined Arizona as a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, where she was named 2020 ACC Sixth Player of the Year. In her lone season in Tucson, Baptiste averaged 8.6 points and 6.1 rebounds while starting all 27 games.

Baptiste grew her profile in the NCAA Tournament. She posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in Arizona’s Elite Eight win against Indiana and averaged 25.5 minutes in the Wildcats’ two Final Four games.

At 6-feet tall, Baptiste is considered undersized as a forward in the professional ranks.

Indiana head coach Marianne Stanley said, “I think ultimately she’s going to be a player that needs to be a three, like the big three, and clearly there’s some things in her game she needs to develop in that regard, but great attitude, great energy, good on both ends of the floor. She’s not a one-way player. She’s a two-way player.”

Baptiste’s next stop will likely be overseas, where there are more opportunities – and often more money – for women’s basketball players.