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After earning all-conference honors at Michigan, Laila Phelia joins Texas basketball team

Michigan guard Laila Phelia drives to the basket against Iowa's Caitlin Clark during their Big Ten Tournament semifinal game on March 9. Phelia, who earned first-team all-conference honors after averaging 16.8 points a game, has transferred to Texas.
Michigan guard Laila Phelia drives to the basket against Iowa's Caitlin Clark during their Big Ten Tournament semifinal game on March 9. Phelia, who earned first-team all-conference honors after averaging 16.8 points a game, has transferred to Texas.

Some reinforcements arrived Monday through the transfer portal for the Texas women's basketball team.

Former Michigan standout Laila Phelia announced that she will transfer to Texas after spending the past three seasons with the Wolverines. The 6-foot guard was a junior this past season when she averaged a team-high 16.8 points and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. A Texas spokesman confirmed Monday that Phelia has signed.

For her career, Phelia has averaged 14.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. She has appeared in 88 games and made 71 starts.

An Ohio product, Phelia was rated by ESPN HoopGurlz as the No. 28 prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle. Current Texas standouts Aaliyah Moore and Rori Harmon were respectively ranked sixth and 10th that year.

Texas entered this offseason looking for a replacement for veteran guard Shaylee Gonzales, who started in all 38 games this past season. The Longhorns, though, have plenty of options in the backcourt. Rising sophomore Madison Booker earned All-America accolades last season and Harmon was considered one of the best two-way guards in the country before she injured her knee in December. Shay Holle just led Texas in minutes played and younger players like Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, Jordana Codio and Gisella Maul all have spent time in coach Vic Schaefer's system. Incoming guard Jordan Lee is also viewed as a top-10 recruit in the Class of 2024.

Texas went 33-5 and after winning the Big 12 Tournament championship, the Longhorns reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. They finished No. 7 in the final Top 25 poll.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Former Michigan guard Laila Phelia transfers to Texas basketball team