UTEP Women’s Hoops Signs Proven Finland Forward Elina Arike

UTEP women's basketball signed proven Finland forward Elina Arike on Wednesday, who is immediately eligible for the 2020-21 season. She has four years of eligibility left.

Playing on the U20 Finland squad, Arike has starred in multiple tournaments for the U18 and U20 teams. She averaged 8.3 points, 5.2 boards and 1.2 assists in six games during the 2019 U20 European Championships Division B, while shooting 46.2 percent.

The Helsinki, Finland native graduated from Mäkelänrinne Upper Secondary School in Dec. 2019. The 6-foot forward will play in the frontcourt alongside incoming senior Dejane Roebuck, senior Michelle Pruitt and sophomore Tatyana Modawar.

“We are very excited to add Elina to our roster for the upcoming season," said head coach Kevin Baker. "Elina is a very talented and versatile player. She has the ability to do it all. She can shoot well from the perimeter, post-to-score on the block, handle the ball like a guard, and is a very special passer. She will be able to help our team in many ways. She also has a willingness to defend multiple kinds of players. Elina checks all the boxes. We look forward to great things from Elina as she joins the UTEP family.”