San Diego State women’s basketball head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson announced on May 1 the addition of three new guards to the team: Alayna Kraus from Southern Illinois, Eva DeChent from New Hampshire, and Nayli Padilla from New Mexico.
The signings are expected to strengthen the Aztecs’ roster as they aim to build on a successful season. The incoming trio will join seven returning players, including four starters, and two freshmen following a year in which San Diego State won the Mountain West regular season championship and tied a school record with 27 wins.
Kraus averaged 15.8 points per game last season at Southern Illinois and was named to the All-Missouri Valley Third Team. She started all 30 games for her team while playing an average of 34 minutes per game and led in scoring. Kraus also achieved a free throw percentage of 88.1 percent, ranking second in her conference and twenty-first nationally. “Alayna will be a great addition to our program,” Terry-Hutson said. “She is a driven and competitive gym rat that can score at all three levels.”
DeChent is joining after averaging over 17 points per game over two seasons at New Hampshire, earning two All-American East selections. In her most recent season she posted averages of 18.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and nearly two steals per game while shooting eighty percent from the free throw line. “Eva is a big guard who has incredible shot-making ability,” Terry-Hutson said. “She has a high basketball IQ and can score from anywhere on the floor.”
Padilla comes from New Mexico where she played in fifty-seven games across two seasons, averaging eight points as a sophomore along with notable contributions in assists and three-pointers made (52). “Nayli does a bit of everything,” Terry-Hutson said. “She is an efficient scorer who can stretch the floor but can also score at the rim.”
Looking ahead, San Diego State continues efforts to grow its fan base after setting attendance records for three consecutive years and is currently accepting deposits for next season tickets.
