ARLINGTON - UT Arlington women's basketball head coach Shereka Wright has announced the addition of transfer De'Sha Benjamin. Benjamin, who is coming to Arlington after three seasons at Alabama, will be able to play immediately and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
 
"De'sha adds experience and size on the perimeter," said Wright. "She is a three-level scorer that will allow us to have flexibility to move her around on the floor. I recruited De'Sha out of high school and I'm excited I will have an opportunity to coach her."
 
In her three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Benjamin played in 63 games, making 10 starts. She averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds and shot 40 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from long range. Benjamin scored in double figures for Bama on 19 occasions.
 
Rated No. 63 overall by Prospect Nation and ranked as the No. 14 guard by Prospect Nation and No. 28 guard by HoopGurlz ESPNW, Benjamin was named Georgia Class AA Player of the Year in 2018. She was a three-time state champion at Lucy C. Laney High School (2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18) and earned Atlanta Journal Constitution AAA Player of the Year in 2017. She was also a four-time AJC First Team AA/AAA All-State honoree and was named The Augusta Chronicle Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2018.
 
Benjamin is Coach Wright's ninth addition to the Lady Mavs' roster for the 2021-22 season, joining JUCO transfers Starr Jacobs and Taylor Hutchins, and incoming freshmen Olympia Chaney, Reniya Jones, Cassidee Kinslow, Aaliyah McMillan, Stephanie Mosley and Jordyn Turner.
 
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DE'SHA BENJAMIN FILE
6-0 | Senior | Guard | Augusta, Ga. | Lucy C. Laney HS | Alabama

CAREER HIGHS
Points: 16, 2x, last vs. Mercer (Nov. 17, 2019)
FG: 6, 2x, last vs. USC (Nov. 30, 2019)
FGA: 12, 2x, last at Ole Miss (Feb. 2, 2020)
3FG: 3, 4x, last vs. Samford (Nov. 25, 2020)
3FGA: 7, vs. South Alabama (Dec. 5, 2018)
FT: 9, vs. Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 17, 2019)
FTA: 12, vs. Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 17, 2019)
Rebounds: 11, vs. Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 17, 2019)
Assists: 4, vs. Samford (Nov. 25, 2020)
Steals: 2, 5x, last at Ole Miss (Feb. 2, 2020)
Blocks: 1, 6x, last at Ole Miss (Feb. 2, 2020)
Double-Doubles: 2, vs. Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 17, 2019)

AWARDS
SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (Dec. 18, 2018)

AS A JUNIOR AT ALABAMA (2020-21) | Game-By-Game Stats (PDF)
Appeared in 11 games, making a pair of starts ... Dished out a career-best four assists and went 3-for-5 from the three-point line helping her finish with 11 points in the season-opening win over Samford (Nov.25) ... Returned to action in the Tide's win at Memphis (Dec. 19) after being sidelined with a knee injury in the opening minute of the Houston contest (Nov. 29)

AS A SOPHOMORE AT ALABAMA (2019-20) | Game-By-Game Stats (PDF)
Played in 27 games, including four starts ... Averaged 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game ... Shot 49 percent (76-of-155) from the floor for the season ... Shot 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from beyond the arc in SEC play ... Scored in double figures on 10 occasions ... Notched two double-doubles ... Suffered a broken foot that ended her season on Feb. 25 ... Had a career day against Mercer (Nov. 17), compiling her first career double-double with 16 points (tied career high) and 10 rebounds (career-high) ... Led the team with 13 points in the loss to Southern Cal (Nov. 30) ... Tallied 11 points, including the final four points to close out the win over UNC (Dec. 15) ... Picked up her second double-double of the season after putting in 15 points (9-of-12 from the free throw line) and a career-high 11 rebounds in the victory against Bethune-Cookman (Dec. 17) ... Chipped in 11 points and five rebounds in the win against SE Louisiana (Dec. 29) ... Added 12 points (6-of-6 from free throw line) off the bench in the loss vs. No. 4/5 South Carolina (Jan. 5) ... Came up one rebound shy of her third double-double of the season after putting in 14 points and nine rebounds in the win over Vanderbilt (Jan. 26) ... Poured in 15 second-half points and grabbed six rebounds in the overtime loss against Georgia (Feb. 16)
 
AS A FRESHMAN AT ALABAMA (2018-19) | Game-By-Game Stats (PDF)
Played in 25 games while making four starts before a broken foot suffered on Feb. 24 against Georgia ended her season ... Scored in double-figures in eight games ... Fourth among SEC freshmen in points per game (6.4) ... Fifth among SEC freshmen in rebounds per game (3.4) ... Fifth among SEC freshmen in three-point percentage (36.5 percent) ... Ninth among SEC freshmen in free throw percentage (76.1 percent) ... Led Alabama's freshman class in points per game (6.2) and rebounds per game (3.4) ... Tops on the team in three-point percentage (36.5 percent) ... Totaled 11 points and four rebounds off the bench in her first career game with the Tide in the win over SE Louisiana (Nov. 7) ... Put up 13 points (3-of-4 from 3-point line) off the bench against Utah (Nov. 13) ... Had another double-digit game in the win versus Clemson (Nov. 19) after adding 10 points and eight rebounds ... Tied her career high with 13 points to go along with a career-high nine rebounds in the win over Stetson (Nov. 27) ... Totaled 11 points, four rebounds and two steals against Louisiana Tech (12/2) ... Poured in a career-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds in the win against Northwestern State (Dec. 16) ... Scored 13 points, (3-of-6 from 3-point line) and added four rebounds in the loss at Arkansas (Jan. 24) ... Tallied 11 points (4-of-5) shooting and six rebounds in the win at Georgia (Jan. 27).

HIGH SCHOOL
Rated No. 63 overall by Prospect Nation ... Ranked as the No. 14 guard by Prospect Nation and No. 28 guard by HoopGurlz ESPNW ... Georgia Class AA Player of the Year in 2018 ... Three-time state champion at Lucy C. Laney High School (2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18) ... Atlanta Journal Constitution AAA Player of the Year in 2017 ... Four-time AJC First Team AA/AAA All-State honoree ... The Augusta Chronicle Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2018 ... Four-time All-Georgia First Team ... Played AAU on the Georgia Sting, while being coach by former Duke standout and first round NBA draft pick, Will Avery.
 
PERSONAL
Born June 6, 2000 ... Daughter of Crystal Davis ... Has one brother, Desmund, and one sister, Desiree ... Her cousin Alana Davis currently plays for the University of Memphis' women's basketball team.