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Graham Hays, ESPN.com 4y

Baylor lands Stanford graduate transfer DiJonai Carrington

Women's College Basketball, Stanford Cardinal, Baylor Bears

Baylor didn't get the opportunity to defend its national title this season, but its streak of attracting graduate transfers with impeccable basketball credentials continues unabated. A standout in her time at Stanford, DiJonai Carrington will transfer to Baylor for her final season of eligibility.

Carrington announced her decision Monday on Twitter. She previously said she was considering Baylor, UConn and Oregon. As a graduate transfer, she will be eligible for the 2020-21 season.

A 5-foot-11 guard, Carrington played just five games for the Cardinal this past season because of a reported knee injury. That followed a breakout junior season in 2018-19 in which she averaged 14 points and 7.5 rebounds to earn all-Pac-12 honors for a team that reached the Elite Eight. In addition to rebounding well for her size, she ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in free throw attempts and was among Stanford's 3-point leaders as a junior.

Adding Carrington provides immediate relief for Baylor, which brings in a well-regarded recruiting class but is also trying to replace three players selected in the recent WNBA draft.

This marks the third season in a row in which Baylor has added a high-profile graduate transfer who can play as a guard. A transfer from LSU, Chloe Jackson was instrumental in the 2018-19 national championship run and was a second-round pick in the subsequent WNBA draft. Te'a Cooper was the team's second-leading scorer this past season after arriving from South Carolina, with Baylor projected as a No. 1 seed when the NCAA canceled the tournament in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. She was likewise a second-round pick in this year's WNBA draft.

Baylor also added guard Jaden Owens as a transfer in April, although the sophomore will likely have to sit out the 2020-21 season.

The Lady Bears return forward NaLyssa Smith, who received All-America honorable mention as a sophomore this season, and add freshmen Sarah Andrews and Hannah Gusters, ranked among the top 16 recruits in the nation by ESPN Hoopgurlz.

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