By Western Courier Staff
MACOMB, Illinois (Western Courier) – The Western Illinois women’s basketball added two transfers this week, with Addaya Moore and Jada Thorpe both signing with the Leathernecks.
Moore is a 5-10 guard from Granite City, Illinois. Western Illinois is the third school that Moore has been at after stops at Illinois and Cincinnati. In her freshman season at Illinois, Moore played in 19 games and scored a season high 10 points against Indiana State. After sitting out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules, she started in 12 of the 32 games in her first season with the Bearcats. During that season she averaged 3.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Moore started the first four games of the 2020-21 season averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game but suffered a season ending injury that required surgery. Moore will have two years of eligibility left at Western Illinois.
The Leathernecks added another transfer guard in Jada Thorpe. Thorpe is a native of Chicago who originally signed with Kansas State. Thorpe spent two years at Kansas State and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team during the 2020-21 season and the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie team during the 2019-20 season. Thorpe missed her freshman season due to injury and appeared in five games this season. During her senior year of high school at Simeon Career Academy she was named to the Prospects Nation Watch List for the class of 2019 after averaging 11.9 points, 4.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game. She was also selected for the 2019 Riverwar Missouri vs. Illinois Girls All-Star Game. Thorpe will have four years of eligibility left.
Both guards will look to help fill the void left by the departure of Grace Gilmore. Both Moore and Thorpe have the ability to play point guard or shooting guard. Moore is a guard that can do it all in terms of scoring, passing, and rebounding. She is an aggressive guard who looks to get her points close to the rim, with just 16 three pointers attempted in her time at Cincinnati. Moore seems to be the most likely of the two transfers to crack the starting lineup, already having starting experience at Cincy and matching the description of what WIU looks for in a starting point guard. Meanwhile, Thorpe will provide some quality depth off of the bench.
