WACO, Texas —
Erin DeGrate has come full circle as she will return to Waco and join the Baylor women’s basketball team for the 2019-20 season, head coach Kim Mulkey announced Monday. DeGrate, a La Vega High School alumnus, will use her final season of eligibility as a graduate transfer after playing at Texas Tech the last two seasons.
DeGrate signs just days after Baylor announced the addition of Te’a Cooper as a graduate transfer from South Carolina and a year after the graduate transfer of Chloe Jackson. Jackson was second-team All-Big 12 and the Final Four MVP in Baylor’s championship run.
All three players now, including DeGrate, have in common that Baylor is their third school. DeGrate played a Louisville as a freshman in 2015-16, sat out due to transfer rules in 2016-17 and played the last two seasons at Texas Tech. Jackson played at NC State, LSU and closed at Baylor while Cooper played at Tennessee, South Carolina and will finish with the Lady Bears.
The 6-6 post player has amassed 556 points (6.5 p/g) and 353 (4.1 p/g) rebounds in 86 career games as a Division I player. She averaged 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds last season for the Lady Raiders, and she had 15 points and 14 rebounds combined in three games vs. Baylor.
“Erin will bring us experience in the post and the size to complement Lauren [Cox], Queen [Egbo] and NaLyssa [Smith].,” Mulkey said. “It’s always good to have a local kid come and invigorate the local fans like Juicy has done. Getting these two re-united will be good to see on the floor.”
DeGrate and Juicy Landrum were teammates at La Vega High School where she was the Waco-Tribune Herald’s 2015 Super Centex Player of the Year and joined Landrum in bringing home a 4A state championship in 2014.
Monday’s announcement brings Baylor’s roster to 13 players with 10 returnees, freshman Jordyn Oliver and Cooper and DeGrate as transfers. Baylor was 37-1 in 2018-19 winning its third national championship over Notre Dame April 7, 82-81.
