Arella Guirantes

About

Puerto Rican professional basketball player who has played for Bellport High School, IMG Academy, Texas Tech, Rutgers University, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Seattle Storm, and for professional clubs in Ukraine, Hungary, Italy, Spain, China, and Israel while also starring as a top offensive player for the Puerto Rico women's national basketball team.

Before fame

She attended Bellport High School and quickly became one of the top basketball players in New York State. She then She then attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. She began her college career at Texas Tech University during the 2016-2017 season. She transferred to Rutgers University after her freshman year and debuted for Rutgers in 2018-2019 after having to wait a year due to transfer rules. Her breakthrough came during the 2019-2020 season when she emerged as one of the best guards in the country. She averaged 20.6 points per game, led the Big Ten Conference in scoring, and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors from both coaches and media. She first joined the Puerto Rico women's national basketball team in 2019 after becoming eligible through her Puerto Rican heritage. She was selected 22nd overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks which was the beginning of her professional career.

Trivia

She received AP All-America Honorable Mention, WBCA All-America Honorable Mention, and USBWA All-America Honorable Mention recognition during her college career. She delivered a breakout performance at the 2022 FIBA Women's Centrobasket Championship where she led Puerto Rico to the gold medal and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Family life

She was born and raised in Long Island, New York. She has Puerto Rician heritage which has allowed her to compete for the Puerto Rican national team. 

Associated with

She and Cappie Pondexter were both standouts at Rutgers University who then became WNBA players.