Mississippi State Women’s Basketball Lands Big Time UConn Transfer

In the midst of National Signing Day chaos, the Bulldogs continue to make moves on the court as they received confirmation last night that freshman Andra Espinoza-Hunter would be coming to Starkville.

Hailing from Ossining, NY, the 5-foot-10 guard was ranked No. 16 overall and No. 4 at her position by ESPN. She was named the 2017 New York Gatorade Player of the Year, averaging nearly 37 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game in her high school career. In her senior season, she scored 995 points to break the New York State Public High School Athletic Association record. An interesting tidbit is that she started her high school career in the seventh grade at Ossining High School, and in the following two seasons, scored 99 three-pointers. She also has experience playing with the US National Team where she averaged 10 points.

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Espinoza-Hunter played sparingly for UConn, seeing only 49 minutes of action and tallying 14 points in seven games. Her announcement to transfer came on January 12th, and on Tuesday night, she made the decision to join the Bulldog family over the likes of Duke, Louisville, Michigan, Ohio State, and USC. She was in attendance for Monday night’s big game against South Carolina, and if I had to guess, the sold out crowd and incredible atmosphere essentially sealed the deal. She will have to sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but it will give her time to adjust to Coach Schaefer’s style and will prepare her to make an immediate impact upon eligibility.

The former 5-star recruit will join a star-studded signing class that includes #48 overall Daphne White, #49 overall Jessika Carter, and #54 overall Xaria Wiggins. Add in redshirt freshman and three-time Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year Myah Taylor, and the Bulldogs’ future is looking incredibly bright.

Catch the girls on the court tomorrow night at 6pm when they travel to Gainesville to take on Florida.