ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western women’s basketball great LaQuinta Jefferson will continue her basketball career after signing a professional contract with a team in Spain.

Jefferson signed with Gernika Bizkaia on Tuesday. A press release from the team compared Jefferson’s style of play to NBA great Kobe Bryant, going as far as to use Bryant’s nickname, “Black Mamba,” when referring to Jefferson. The team’s coach, Mario Lopez, said Jefferson was a player of, “great talent.”

The 2015-16 MIAA Player of the Year was twice named first-team All-MIAA at Missouri Western. Last season she was also named first-team WBCA All-American; honorable mention D2CCA All-American and first-team D2CCA All-Region. She led the MIAA with 20.3 points per game last season and became the 19th Griffon to score 1,000 points in her career. Over her two seasons with the Griffons, Jefferson averaged 20.8 points per game. She was the first Missouri Western Women’s Basketball student-athlete to be named to two All-American teams since Becky Reichard in 1999.

The signing makes Jefferson the first Griffon Women’s Basketball alum to play professionally since Jessica Koch, who played parts of three seasons after finishing her Missouri Western career in 2012.

— MWSU Athletics —