Women's basketball: Arizona adds Indiana transfer guard Bendu Yeaney
College sports are shut down for the time being, but recruiting will never take a break and Sunday Arizona's women's basketball team was able to make an addition to its roster for next season. Adia Barnes recruited Portland, Oregon native Bendu Yeaney out of St. Mary's Academy a few years ago but ultimately the 5-foot-10 guard decided to pick Big Ten program Indiana.
"First off I want to thank all the coaches that have recruited me during this process," Yeaney wrote in a post on Twitter. "I would like to thank my family and everyone around me that supported me through the thick and thin. I'm beyond blessed for the opportunities and experiences that I've gain [sic] in the last 3 years but I've decided that it's time for my next journey in life to start. So after a lot of consideration and conversation with my family, I have decided that I will attend the University of Arizona! Excited to be apart from something special!"
Yeaney played in 28 games and averaged 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds during her freshman season and followed that up with a scoring average of 9.9 points in the 2018-19 season. Her sophomore year came to an abrupt finish in the NCAA Tournament when she tore her achilles in a second-round game against Oregon last March.
She returned to play six games this season but announced her plans to transfer from the Big Ten school at the end of January in favor of returning closer to home to finish her career.
“I have made the difficult decision to leave Indiana and pursue opportunities to continue my collegiate career closer to home,” Yeaney said at the time. “The health of one of my immediate family members has heightened my desire to be closer to the West Coast. I am thankful for my three seasons in Bloomington. I would like to thank Teri Moren and staff for the opportunity to wear the Cream and Crimson for nearly three seasons. I wish the program the best and continued success in the future.”
In her career the junior guard has averaged 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Yeaney's addition could prove to be an important one for the Wildcats amid some uncertainty about the future. UA currently has four seniors – Dominique McBryde, Lucia Alonso, Tee Tee Starks, and Amari Carter – that it could lose barring the NCAA deciding to grant winter sports athletes an extra season of eligibility. In addition to that, UA star point guard Aari McDonald could leave school a year early to pursue professional options.
The Indiana transfer will join incoming star dual-sport newcomer Lauren Ware, who is one of the top recruits in the 2020 class, plus international players Marta Garcia and Derin Ergodan as the newest Wildcats next season.
DISCUSS: Arizona's newest roster addition