What a difference a day makes.
On Tuesday, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ women’s basketball program announced that freshman Shalyse Smith was transferring to be closer to her Seattle home.
On Wednesday, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said hello to the first verbal commitment for the class of 2020. Derin Erdogan is a 5-foot-8-inch point guard from Turkey.Â
A lefty, Erdogan is known for her ball-handling skills and not getting rattled under pressure. She competed in last summer’s FIBA European Championship for Turkey’s U16 team, averaging 11.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
Erdogan is the second player that coach Adia Barnes has landed from Turkey. The first is a member of the class of 2019, Sevval Gul, a 6-4 power forward. Gul plays for Ferenhbace, one of the best clubs in all of Europe, alongside former Washington star Kelsey Plum. Gul also played for the Turkish National Team last summer, averaging 11 points and nine rebounds per game in the U18 FIBA European Championships.
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UA coach Adia Barnes has a Turkish connection. She spent a few years playing in country as part of a decade-plus professional career. Erdogan joins a handful of other international players: current UA junior Lucia Alonso from Spain, and 2019 signees Gul, Brina Benonysdottir from Iceland, Tara Manumaleuga from Australia, and Mara Mote from Latvia.
