Two key transfers for Bradley women’s basketball will be among a class of seven newcomers this fall, balancing out the expected departures of standouts Lasha and Mahri Petree.
The sisters entered the transfer portal late last week and have yet to announce their next moves.
Lahsa Petree tallied 18 points per game last season in Missouri Valley Conference play, a mark that was good enough to lead both the Braves and the entire conference. She was both a preseason and postseason all-MVC first-team selection.
Mahri Petree started six of 29 games in 2020-21 and was fifth on the team in scoring with 7.2 points per game.
On April 15, Bradley officially announced the signings of Daija Powell and Sierra Morrow. Both figures address key needs caused by the expected departures of key faces.
An Atlanta native, Powell heads to the Hilltop from Texas Tech University. As a freshman in 2020-21, she averaged six minutes in 19 appearances, scoring a high of six points on two occasions against Baylor and Texas Christan University.
Before her time in Lubbock, Powell was a force in the Atlanta-area preps scene. Averaging 16.8 points and 10 rebounds per game at Sandy Creek High School, she was the 13th-ranked power forward in ESPN’s 2019-20 rankings.
Powell looks to provide a presence in the low post for the Braves, who utilized a rotating cast last season after the departure of program stalwart Chelsea Brackmann.
Morrow will enter her Bradley career after posting strong statistical figures in two NJCAA stops. At Seward County Community College in 2020-21, Seward averaged just under 17 points per game and dropped 41 points against Cloud County on March 19. She also chipped in seven rebounds per game and was named the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Player of the Year for her efforts.
In the season prior, at North Iowa Area Community College, Morrow averaged 15.6 points per game and eight rebounds. Among those numbers were 10 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. Following the season, she was named an NJCAA second-team all-American.
“We are excited to add two quality student-athletes to our rising program that are both college tested and eager for championships,” Bradley head coach Andrea Gorski said in a release. “Daija will provide a strong presence on both ends of the floor and is hungry to win and contribute right away. Sierra will provide versatility as she can pour in points both inside and out and has guard skills in a 6-2 frame.”
