CARBONDALE,Ill. — Southern Illinois University women’s basketball coach Kelly Bond-White announced that the program has added Texas Christian transfer guard Aja Holmes.
“We are excited to welcome Aja into the program,” Bond-White said. “We have known her and her family for quite some time. Aja’s the ultimate team player that will keep defenses honest with her ability to stretch it.”
A native of Cibolo, Texas, Holmes comes to Carbondale after spending the past two seasons with the Horned Frogs.
“I felt like Carbondale was the right pick for me because the way the staff and my teammates treated me immediately felt like home,” Holmes said. “In Carbondale, I got the ‘home away from home’ feeling in the air as soon as I got here.”
Holmes notched a season and career-high 22 points on Dec. 12, 2021 against Texas A&M. Holmes also turned the ball over just six times in 464 minutes played during the 21-22 season.
During her freshman season at TCU, Holmes averaged 5.6 points per game and shot 90% from the free-throw line. She was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Jan. 25, 2021 after scoring 14 points, including four three-pointers, against Texas Tech.
Holmes said she already knows what she’s getting ready for when the season gets underway.
“The thing I am looking forward to the most is winning,” she said. “The winning culture that is here is like no other! I am also looking forward to creating new bonds with such amazing people and I am so excited.”
Holmes played her prep ball at Steele High School in Cibolo for Jeff Chatman, where she averaged 16 points per game as a senior. She played her summer ball with perennial powerhouse San Antonio’s Finest coached by Ray Caldwell. She was rated a four star prospect coming out of high school by Prospects Nation. She was the 29th ranked shooting guard in the country by ESPN and was a 2019-20 McDonald’s All-American nominee.
“All summer we’ve had seven players busting it,” Bond-White said. “My staff has done a tremendous job of just not signing bodies, but finding the right fit for our family and the SIU community. Aja and the other young ladies arriving on campus to complete our 2022 recruiting class, fill a need and will allow a great balance of veterans with our young returners and freshman. It also allows us to fully focus in on our small ’23 class and then reload in the ’24 class.”
