Lady Lions ink UConn transfer De’Janae Boykin

Penn State women’s basketball announced the signing of transfer De’Janae Boykin, formerly of the top-ranked University of Connecticut, on Friday afternoon.

Boykin, a 6-foot-2 freshman forward from Springdale, Md. will have to sit out two semesters before she is eligible for competition, and will be able to play for the Lady Lions after the fall 2016 semester.

"De’Janae is a wonderful addition to the Penn State community and to our program,” said head coach Coquese Washington “We are very excited that she has joined our Lady Lion family."

Boykin earned McDonalds All-American honors as a senior at Charles H. Flowers high school, and averaged 21.5 points per game through six games that year before a wrist injury sidelined her for the rest of the season. She scored 1,225 career points in high school, alongside 659 rebound, 247 assists and 118 blocks.

She was Maryland’s 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year after her junior season, in which she averaged 21.1 points and 15.8 rebounds per game. Boykin also has eaned three gold medals with USA Basketball’s U-17 and U-16 teams in international competition.

Her decision to transfter from UConn came mid-December, announced by head coach Geno Auriemma, who, according to ESPN, said Boykin wanted to play closer to her home and family in Maryland. She did not see time with the Huskies as she hurt her Achilles last offseason.

Current Penn State guard Brianna Banks is also a UConn transfer.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 2:32 PM with the headline "Lady Lions ink UConn transfer De’Janae Boykin."