TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University head women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne today announced that Sophia Elenga has signed a letter of intent to study and play basketball at Arizona State.
Elenga, a 6-1 post, will be joining the Sun Devils from Cochise College (Douglas, Ariz.) where she earned Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) First-Team honors and First-Team All-Region I (Div. I) recognition each of the last two seasons and, most recently, helped lead the Apaches to their best season in program history.
"Our young team just took another step forward with the addition of Sophia, an outstanding, versatile and seasoned forward," Turner Thorne said. "Sophia is not only a complete offensive player who can score in a variety of ways, she is also a tough, disciplined defender.
"Sophia aligns with our team culture because she is a hardworking, giving, and passionate teammate. We welcome her maturity and grateful spirit. We are equally excited for the contributions Sophia will make both on campus and in the community."
Originally from Nogent Sur Oise, France, Elenga is coming off a phenomenal 2016-17 campaign in which she averaged 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds while scoring a season-high 20 points on four occasions. She concluded her sophomore season third in the ACCAC in field goal percentage (52.3), fourth in rebounds per game (8.3) and fifth in blocks (38). Elenga's play was the principal impetus for Cochise's unprecedented success as the Apaches posted the best record in program history (28-4) on their way to capturing their first Region 1 Division 1 championship in more than 30 years.
"Sophia was a major part of our success this year and proved to be one of the top players in the country," Cochise head coach and former longtime Sun Devil assistant coach Laura Hughes said. "She helped guide our program to its most successful season ever. Not only does Sophia have a skill set that will transfer well into the Pac-12, she is also a great person and will fit perfectly into the Sun Devil way of doing things. I am so proud of everything Sophia has accomplished at Cochise and look forward to her future successes at ASU."
Elenga, who is ranked among the top 20 junior college players in Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls' Basketball Report, burst onto the scene as a freshman as she averaged 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 30 games (29 starts). She would go on to finish second in the ACCAC in both field goal percentage (53.2) and rebounds per game in helping Cochise to a 23-8 record.
Elenga will be joining a 2017-18 Sun Devil squad that will be comprised of two freshmen, five sophomores and five juniors. The Sun Devils are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as they advanced to the second round of NCAAs where they nearly upset eventual national champion South Carolina on its home floor after taking a one-point lead into the game's final minute.
Turner Thorne, who posted her 400th win as ASU's head coach last month, will return for her 21st season and will lead a squad that will look to match the school record of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and five straight 20-win seasons.
Elenga, a 6-1 post, will be joining the Sun Devils from Cochise College (Douglas, Ariz.) where she earned Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) First-Team honors and First-Team All-Region I (Div. I) recognition each of the last two seasons and, most recently, helped lead the Apaches to their best season in program history.
"Our young team just took another step forward with the addition of Sophia, an outstanding, versatile and seasoned forward," Turner Thorne said. "Sophia is not only a complete offensive player who can score in a variety of ways, she is also a tough, disciplined defender.
"Sophia aligns with our team culture because she is a hardworking, giving, and passionate teammate. We welcome her maturity and grateful spirit. We are equally excited for the contributions Sophia will make both on campus and in the community."
Originally from Nogent Sur Oise, France, Elenga is coming off a phenomenal 2016-17 campaign in which she averaged 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds while scoring a season-high 20 points on four occasions. She concluded her sophomore season third in the ACCAC in field goal percentage (52.3), fourth in rebounds per game (8.3) and fifth in blocks (38). Elenga's play was the principal impetus for Cochise's unprecedented success as the Apaches posted the best record in program history (28-4) on their way to capturing their first Region 1 Division 1 championship in more than 30 years.
"Sophia was a major part of our success this year and proved to be one of the top players in the country," Cochise head coach and former longtime Sun Devil assistant coach Laura Hughes said. "She helped guide our program to its most successful season ever. Not only does Sophia have a skill set that will transfer well into the Pac-12, she is also a great person and will fit perfectly into the Sun Devil way of doing things. I am so proud of everything Sophia has accomplished at Cochise and look forward to her future successes at ASU."
Elenga, who is ranked among the top 20 junior college players in Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls' Basketball Report, burst onto the scene as a freshman as she averaged 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 30 games (29 starts). She would go on to finish second in the ACCAC in both field goal percentage (53.2) and rebounds per game in helping Cochise to a 23-8 record.
Elenga will be joining a 2017-18 Sun Devil squad that will be comprised of two freshmen, five sophomores and five juniors. The Sun Devils are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as they advanced to the second round of NCAAs where they nearly upset eventual national champion South Carolina on its home floor after taking a one-point lead into the game's final minute.
Turner Thorne, who posted her 400th win as ASU's head coach last month, will return for her 21st season and will lead a squad that will look to match the school record of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and five straight 20-win seasons.