Ducks Add Duo on Signing Day
11/08/17 | Women's Basketball
Head coach Kelly Graves has signed a pair of prospects for the 2018-19 season.
EUGENE, Ore. - Guard Taylor Chavez and forward Nyara Sabally have signed national letters of intent for the 2018-19 season, Oregon women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves announced Wednesday.
"We are extremely excited to welcome both Nyara and Taylor to our Duck family," Graves said. "Both are talented young women who will work hard, love the game, play with passion and be great teammates. They are both great fits for our program's culture and will be huge assets to the University of Oregon community."
Chavez (Surprise, Ariz./Valley Vista HS), the No. 60 ranked recruit in the nation according to ESPN, was the Arizona 6A state player of the year following her junior season in which she averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.8 steals per game. The 5-foot-10 guard led Valley Vista HS to a 26-6 record and its first ever state championship last season. Chavez averaged 17 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
"Taylor is an elite competitor in everything she does," Graves said. "She plays extremely hard, is highly skilled at both the point and shooting guard positions and has an extremely high basketball IQ. She's a proven winner and is just one of those clutch players. Twice last year she hit game-winning three-pointers during her team's march to a state championship."
Sabally (Berlin, Germany) is the younger sister of current Oregon freshman Satou Sabally. Like her older sister, Nyara Sabally has an extensive background in the German national team system. She first made her debut with the German national team at the 2015 FIBA U16 European Championship, where she averaged nine points, 13.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. She exploded on to the scene last summer, however, as she was named the MVP of the FIBA U18 Div. B European Championship after averaging 17.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. In the semifinals against Great Britain, Sabally tallied 21 points, 18 rebounds, six steals and four blocked shots. In the championship game against Ireland, she posted another double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
"Nyara is such a gifted athlete and competitor," Graves said. "She's incredibly versatile, with the athleticism, toughness and intelligence to guard multiple positions. She's also skilled enough to play both inside and out offensively. She's a proven winner and has led Germany's resurgence as one of Europe's most competitive national teams."
The Ducks will graduate seniors Lexi Bando and Justine Hall off this season's roster.
"We are extremely excited to welcome both Nyara and Taylor to our Duck family," Graves said. "Both are talented young women who will work hard, love the game, play with passion and be great teammates. They are both great fits for our program's culture and will be huge assets to the University of Oregon community."
Chavez (Surprise, Ariz./Valley Vista HS), the No. 60 ranked recruit in the nation according to ESPN, was the Arizona 6A state player of the year following her junior season in which she averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.8 steals per game. The 5-foot-10 guard led Valley Vista HS to a 26-6 record and its first ever state championship last season. Chavez averaged 17 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
"Taylor is an elite competitor in everything she does," Graves said. "She plays extremely hard, is highly skilled at both the point and shooting guard positions and has an extremely high basketball IQ. She's a proven winner and is just one of those clutch players. Twice last year she hit game-winning three-pointers during her team's march to a state championship."
Sabally (Berlin, Germany) is the younger sister of current Oregon freshman Satou Sabally. Like her older sister, Nyara Sabally has an extensive background in the German national team system. She first made her debut with the German national team at the 2015 FIBA U16 European Championship, where she averaged nine points, 13.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. She exploded on to the scene last summer, however, as she was named the MVP of the FIBA U18 Div. B European Championship after averaging 17.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. In the semifinals against Great Britain, Sabally tallied 21 points, 18 rebounds, six steals and four blocked shots. In the championship game against Ireland, she posted another double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
"Nyara is such a gifted athlete and competitor," Graves said. "She's incredibly versatile, with the athleticism, toughness and intelligence to guard multiple positions. She's also skilled enough to play both inside and out offensively. She's a proven winner and has led Germany's resurgence as one of Europe's most competitive national teams."
The Ducks will graduate seniors Lexi Bando and Justine Hall off this season's roster.
Players Mentioned
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