Former BYU Hoops Star Commits To Texas Longhorns
Jul 11, 2022, 1:35 PM | Updated: Jul 22, 2022, 11:01 am
BYU women's basketball made a pitch to bring star guard Shaylee Gonzales out of the Transfer Portal. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Dynamic former Cougar playmaking guard Shaylee Gonzales announced that she will be attending the University of Texas in the fall.
After entering the transfer portal in June, Gonzales announced her decision to the Longhorn’s via social media on Monday, July 11. Texas is led by head coach Vic Schaefer.
HOOK ‘EM 🤩🤘🏼 pic.twitter.com/qvVJ4gBedA
— Shaylee Gonzales (@shayleegonzales) July 11, 2022
The two-time WCC Player of the Year had been a star for BYU since she arrived on campus in 2018. Last season, Gonzales led a nationally-ranked BYU squad in scoring with 18.3 points per game while also recording 5.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 steals.
Gonzales finished her sophomore season with a litany of honors that include AP All-American Honorable Mention, Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, All-WCC First Team and three-time WCC Player of the Week. Her 18.3 points per game was good enough for third in the WCC and 4.5 assists was second in the conference.
She finished her BYU career 10th on the all-time points list.
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Gonzales joins a Texas team that finished 29-7, third in the Big12. The Longhorns advanced to the Elite 8, beating the Utah Utes along the way, before falling 59-50 to defending champion Stanford.
She should add scoring punch to a guard line that includes sophomore Rori Harmon and her 11.4 points per game. Though scoring chances should be plentiful for Gonzales as Harmon is the returning Longhorn that averaged double figure scoring last season.
The Winds of Change
After finishing 26-4 and a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament in March, the BYU women’s basketball program is undergoing a host of changes.
In April, after 21 seasons and amassing a 456-204 overall record, Jeff Judkins retired as head coach of the women’s basketball program.
Proud to welcome head coach Amber Whiting! pic.twitter.com/BbI6zUdhjA
— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) May 18, 2022
In stepped Amber Whiting, a 2001 BYU graduate and more recently head coach of the Burley, Idaho high school girls basketball team. Whiting takes over the BYU program on the heels of winning the 2022 4A Idaho state championship and being named the 4A Idaho Statesman Coach of the Year.
Along with Gonzales and her 18+ points per game, Whiting will be looking to replace to 17.1 points per game scored by Paisley Harding, now with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.
