UTC women add Icelandic guard to 2020-21 basketball roster

Staff photo by Robin Rudd / UTC women's basketball coach Katie Burrows instructs her team during a timeout against Furman on Jan. 18 at McKenzie Arena.
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / UTC women's basketball coach Katie Burrows instructs her team during a timeout against Furman on Jan. 18 at McKenzie Arena.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball program continued to add to its 2020-21 roster Friday with the addition of Sigrún Björg Ólafsdóttir, a 5-foot-9 guard from Hafnarfjorour, Iceland.

"We are excited to add Sigrún to our roster," Mocs coach Katie Burrows said in a news release. "She's a combo guard, and her versatility will make her a great fit for our program.

"We are anxious to get her and everyone back on campus soon."

Ólafsdóttir helped her Haukar team to the 2018 Icelandic title and the 2017 Icelandic Cup title, with her individual honors including being named the league's defender of the year, most promising player and most improved player.

She has played for Iceland's U16, U18 and senior national teams, and she averaged 7.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 2018-19.

Her addition will give the Mocs, who overcame a 1-13 start this past season to post an 11-18 record and share the Southern Conference regular-season title, five players who weren't on the 2019-20 active roster going into next season. Bradley Central High School senior Anna Walker signed in November, and last month the program added Dyersburg State transfer Amaria Pugh. In addition, Brooke Hampel will be eligible after sitting out this past season following her transfer from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, while sophomore Morgan Hill is set to return after an injury ended her 2019-20 season after she appeared in just three games.

The Mocs must make up for the production lost with the exit of guards Lakelyn Bouldin and Nakeia Burks, both seniors this past season. They accounted for 34% of UTC's offense in 2019-20.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.

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