PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 7, 2020) – Rutgers women's basketball redshirt junior guard
Arella Guirantes has announced her decision to forego the WNBA Draft and return to the Scarlet Knights for her final year of collegiate eligibility for the 2020-21 season.
Following her transfer to Rutgers from Texas Tech after her 288-point freshman season, Guirantes sat out a year, then scored 1,004 for Rutgers through two campaigns for a career point total of 1,292. With the academic year in residence in 2017-18, she became eligible to graduate and begin her professional career. Guirantes, however, who has been projected as a first or second round pick in multiple WNBA mock drafts, made an integral decision to return to college on unfinished business.
"I have my goals written down, and I didn't write them down for nothing," Guirantes said. "This morning I read my bible and started reflecting. I was feeling overwhelmed and feeling anxious to get it over with. This verse stuck out to me and reminded me the process is part of the journey. I was going to make a decision to get it over with, but this decision is what I'm supposed to be going through. What I needed to do was be faithful toward my goals. I want to be the Big Ten Player of the Year, a First Team All-American and win a championship with Rutgers Basketball. This is what I'm supposed to go through to be prepared for those moments."
1 Thessalonians 3:3-5
3 We didn't want any of you to be shaken by these problems. You know very well that we were meant to go through this. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept on predicting that we were going to face problems exactly like what happened, as you know. 5 That's why I sent Timothy to find out about your faithfulness when I couldn't stand it anymore. I was worried that the tempter might have tempted you so that our work would have been a waste of time.
The Bellport, New York native was the 2019-20 Big Ten scoring champion and No. 9 ranked scorer in the nation with 20.6 points per game during a campaign that was lauded with All-America Honorable Mention accolades by the Associated Press, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. She was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team, just the third from Rutgers since joining the conference in 2014-15 and first to be selected unanimously.
"Arella is the perfect leader to bring Rutgers women's basketball to the next level as we continue our resurgence as a national power," said head coach
C. Vivian Stringer. "We appreciate her dedication to our program and her commitment to excellence. Her work ethic and competitive drive is second to none and we are excited to welcome her back for her senior season."
Guirantes helped lead the Scarlet Knights to a 22-win season in 2019-20, which included a Junkanoo Jam title in the Bahamas, fifth place in the Big Ten, RU's fifth Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals appearance in six years, and a certain berth in the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament.
The 2020 NCAA Tournament would have been the second straight dance for Stringer and Guirantes.
"It's one of the reasons I came to Rutgers," Guirantes said of her mentor. "To learn from one of the best of all time. We are part of each other's journey and we are both leaving a legacy at Rutgers."
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