ARLINGTON – UT Arlington women's basketball head coach
Shereka Wright has announced the addition of SMU transfer and former DeSoto High School standout Kayla White. White spent four seasons with the Mustangs and will be eligible to play immediately.
"We are so excited to add Kayla to the Lady Mav Family," said Wright. "She will bring experience and another scoring punch on the perimeter for us. Her speed and ability to create shots for herself and others will add another dimension to our team. She is eager to get to campus and get to work as we continue to work for another championship here at UTA."
White played in 91 games for the Mustangs in her four-year career, earning 71 starts. She averaged 11.7 points per game in her career, averaging double-digit marks in scoring every year.
White was an All-American Athletic Conference third team selection in 2021-22 during her senior season at SMU. She was second on the team and ninth on the Mustangs with 13.2 points per game. White shot 39.3 percent from the field, good for fourth in The American, and became the 25th player in SMU history to score 1,000 points.
A product of DeSoto High School, White averaged 13.7 points per game and earned All-District honors. She helped lead DeSoto to the third round of the state playoffs.
The Lady Mavs come off a 20-8 record and the Sun Belt Tournament Championship in their final year of the conference. That earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history and the first since 2007. UTA sets its sights on the WAC beginning this season.
White joins a class of five newcomers announced last November.
Click here to read more about the recruiting class announced earlier this season.
KAYLA WHITE FILE
5-10 | Senior | Guard | DeSoto, Texas | DeSoto HS | SMU
CAREER HIGHS
Points: 34, vs. East Carolina (Jan. 13, 2022)
FG: 11, 2x, last vs. East Carolina (Jan. 13, 2022)
FGA: 28, vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (Dec. 28, 2021)
3FG: 4, at Wichita State (Feb. 17, 2019)
3FGA: 11, vs. Alabama (Nov. 15, 2018)
FT: 10, vs. East Carolina (Jan. 13, 2022)
FTA: 10, vs. East Carolina (Jan. 13, 2022)
Rebounds: 9, 2x, last vs. Arkansas (Dec. 9, 2020)
Assists: 5, vs. East Carolina (Jan. 13, 2022)
Steals: 4, at Northern Colorado (Dec. 1, 2018)
Blocks: 2, vs. Oklahoma (Nov. 30, 2021)
AWARDS
All-ACC Third Team
AS A SENIOR AT SMU (2021-22)
Named to the All-American Athletic Conference Third Team…Started 17 of 29 games played…Second on the team and ninth in The American with 13.2 points per game…Shot 39.3 percent from the field, ranking fourth in The American…Became the 25th player to score 1,000 points at SMU with 20 at Tulane (2/23)…Ranks 22nd all-time at SMU with 1,068 career points…Scored a career-high 34 points against ECU (1/13), tied for ninth all-time in a game at SMU…Shot a career-high 61.1 percent against ECU, going 11-for-18 from the field…Scored at least 20 points six times and reached double figures 18 times…Made a career-high 11 field goals twice, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (12/28) and against ECU…Matched her career high with eight rebounds twice, against Oklahoma (11/30) and against Temple (2/28)…Averaged 3.4 rebounds per game…Also had 26 steals, 18 assists and seven blocks.
AS A JUNIOR AT SMU (2020-21)
Started all six games played…Averaged a team-high 12.2 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game…Season was canceled after six games due to concerns regarding Covid-19.
AS A SOPHOMORE AT SMU (2019-20)
Played in 26 games with 20 starts…Averaged 27.2 minutes…Second on the team and 25th in The American with 10.4 points per game…Matched her career-high with 22 points against North Dakota (12/9)…Scored 21 points against Wright State (12/7), and finished with 20 against ECU (2/11)…Scored at least 10 points 11 times…Made 19 3-pointers…Averaged 3.8 rebounds with a career-high nine against North Dakota…Pulled down eight boards at UT Arlington (12/22)…Had 34 assists, 22 steals and five blocks.
AS A FRESHMAN AT SMU (2018-19)
Named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team…Played in all 30 games with a team-best 28 starts…Led the Mustangs and ranked 20th in The American with 11.4 points per game…Scored a season-high 22 points at Rice (12/15)…Scored at least 10 points 20 times, including a stretch of six consecutive games, averaging 13.8 points during the last six non-conference games…Scored 18 points at Houston (2/2), a season-high against a conference opponent…Fourth on the team with 109 rebounds, including a season-high seven twice…Second on the team with 38 steals, including a season-high four at Northern Colorado (12/1)…Also recorded 40 assists, with a season-high five against East Carolina (2/14).
HIGH SCHOOL
Averaged 13.7 points per game, earning All-District honors...Member of the National Honor Society...Played with her cousin, JaQuia White, leading DeSoto to the third round of the state playoffs.
FOLLOW ALONG
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