Jasmine Joyner finally knows her next career destination.
It’s quite far away.
The former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga forward has signed a contract to continue her basketball career with Kouvottaret, a club in Finland. She became the second American player recently added to the roster, following former Indiana standout Alexis Gassion, who had 15 points and eight assists in a 79-76 win over the Mocs on Nov. 17 in Chattanooga.
Joyner ended her career eighth on the NCAA all-time blocked-shots list with 437. The two-time Southern Conference tournament MVP was third in UTC Division I history with 982 rebounds and 14th in scoring with 1,330 points.
She averaged 13.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 1.9 steals per game last season.
Obviously, blocking shots is her forte, but she hopes to spend some time working on her ball-handling to be more of a threat offensively.
She said Saturday that she plans to get to Finland in August. She will spend time with family and friends in Memphis and Chattanooga before then.
“I really want to get bigger,” she told the Times Free Press. “I’m going to work with (UTC assistant) Jon Goldberg on my counter moves and get stronger in my ball-handling.”
Joyner was in some projections as a WNBA draftee. She wasn’t selected, but with overseas salaries for women’s players comparable to those playing in the WNBA, it’s not a bad fallback plan.
“I’m excited for this opportunity,” she said. “It’s a blessing.”
Kouvottaret coach Mika Hartonen called Joyner a “great fighter and a good player” in a release.
“She’s versatile and she moves well,” Hartonen said. “She is very proud and a great player that will do really well.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.