Doga Alper, a freshman for the University of Maine women’s basketball team, requested and received a waiver from the school enabling her to transfer.
She is the seventh member of the program to transfer since the end of the 2016-17 season.
Five players transferred after the 2016-17 season, and sophomore guard Julie Brosseau decided to leave after the 2017-18 campaign.
Laia Sole transferred to Duquesne University. Fellow freshmen Anita Kelava (Georgetown), Naira Caceres (Butler) and Tijana Stojsavljevic (Texas Tech), and sophomore Isabel Hernandez Pepe, who went to NCAA Division II St. Edward’s University, also moved on.
Brosseau, a sophomore guard, left for the University of Utah.
Despite the exodus, the resilient Black Bears have won back-to-back America East championships the past two seasons, earning NCAA tournament berths for the first time since 2004.
Alper, a 5-foot-11 guard from Istanbul, Turkey who played at various levels for the Turkish National Team, did not become eligible until the second semester and appeared in 15 games. She averaged just 5.5 minutes, and produced 1.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per game.
“We just wish her the best,” UMaine head coach Amy Vachon said. “We want her to be happy.”
Vachon will have Alper’s scholarship at her disposal moving forward.
“It has happened every year since I’ve been here,” junior guard Blanca Millan said. “We want people who want to be here and are happy here. The Spaniards [Sole, Caceres] left because they weren’t happy here and [Alper] wasn’t happy here, either.
Brosseau had to sit out last season at Utah due to NCAA transfer rules.
The other five have had various levels of success since departing UMaine.
Hernandez Pepe led St. Edward’s in scoring and rebounding each year. She averaged 14.1 points and 6.2 rebounds last season and was a first-team All-Heartland Conference selection for the 16-14 Hilltoppers. She also led the team in assists per game (2.6).
Kelava started 31 of 35 games for the 19-16 Hoyas and averaged 3.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and a team-high 1.5 blocked shots in 22.7 minutes per game. The Hoyas went 3-1 in the Women’s NIT, losing to James Madison in the quarterfinals.
Sole, who earned a spot on the America East All-Rookie team and was the league’s Sixth Player of the Year, saw an average of 12.9 minutes of playing time, and averaged 4.6 points and 3.1 rebounds for the 19-12 Dukes, who lost to Fordham in the Atlantic 10 semifinals.
Caceres played in 33 games for 23-10 Butler, and averaged 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds along in 18.5 minutes per game. Butler went 2-1 in the WNIT, losing to Cincinnati.
Stojsavljevic saw very limited duty for 14-17 Texas Tech, appearing in 10 games, and averaging 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 points per game.