ARLINGTON, Texas – Laya Hartman, a sharp-shooting 5-11 veteran guard, will join the UT Arlington women's basketball program for the 2025-26 campaign.
 
The Okemos, Michigan native comes to Arlington after a four-year career at Northwestern and attending film school at NYU the past two years. Hartman has appeared in 57 games during her career as she comes to UTA with one year of eligibility left.
 
"We are excited to welcome sharpshooter, Laya Hartman to our Lady Mavs family," said head coach Shereka Wright. "A proven shooter, Laya will also bring athleticism, Power 4 experience and size to our roster. She will give us versatility to move her around on the perimeter." 
 
During the 2022-23 season at Northwestern, Hartman appeared in 13 games with one start and averaged 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per contest for the Wildcats. She registered a season-high six points on two made threes against Penn (11/13) and recorded three points and pulled down four rebounds in 12 minutes against Oregon (11/7). Hartman finished the season 13-of-48 (.271) from the floor, 7-of-24 (.292) from three-point range and 2-of-5 (.400) from the free throw line while corralling 24 total rebounds, dishing out seven assists and securing three steals in 110 total minutes.
 
Hartman's 2021-22 season for the Wildcats was a career year for the junior who appeared in 22 games, with 13 of those starts and averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26.0 minutes for the Wildcats. For the season, Hartman went 66-of-174 (.379) from the floor, 29-of-75 (.387) from three-point distance and 7-of-11 (.636) from the charity stripe while collecting 58 total boards, dished out thirty assists, garnered 15 steals and two blocs with 168 total points in 571 total minutes. She had a career-highs in points with 14 against Iowa (1/28), rebounds with eight and assists with four against Delaware (12/11), and steals with three against Rutgers (1/13). She finished the season with 10 double digit scoring performances.
 
During Hartman's sophomore campaign in 2020-21, she appeared in nine games and averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in six minutes per contest. For the season, she was 8-of-15 (.533) from the floor, 2-of-4 (.500) from deep and 1-of-3 (.333) from the charity stripe while finishing with 11 total rebounds, two assists and two steals. Scored three points and grabbed a season-high four rebounds in a win over Purdue (12/17). Scored a season-high six points in a season-high 12 minutes against Wisconsin (1/6).
 
In her freshman season in 2019-20, Hartman appeared in 13 games off the bench for the Wildcats. She scored two points and collected a steal in four minutes in her collegiate debut vs. Loyola Maryland (11/10). She finished the season with 11 total points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 43 total minutes. 
 
A 2019 graduate of Okemos High School in her native Michigan, Hartman was the No. 13 ranked guard in her class as well as being ranked a top 40 player nationally according to Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report with an ESPN scouts' grade of 90. She averaged 16.8 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game as a junior and was invited to try out for the USA U-16 Women's Basketball Program in Colorado.
 
She is the daughter of Bena and Douglas Hartman. Her mother played tennis at Clarion University while her father played basketball for Warner Pacific University.
 
Hartman joins an exciting group of newcomers on next year's team including: Jeanne Rodriguez (Salt Lake CC), Natasha Barnes (Pearl River CC), Jadyn Atchison (Old Dominion), Mila Reynolds (Purdue), Amiyah Reynolds (Purdue) and Kira Reynolds (South Bend Washington High School).
   
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