MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – April 15, 2024 – Former Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and Texas Tech forward Elina Arike has signed with Middle Tennessee women’s basketball, head coach Rick Insell announced Monday evening.
“We are excited to welcome Elina to the Blue Raider family,” Insell said. “We are very familiar with her. She is the type of player that we look for: a team player that has a high basketball IQ and will thrive both on and off the court in Murfreesboro. Elina is an elite-level player and is proven in this conference. We expect her to make an immediate impact as a former all-conference player.”
Arike, a power forward out of Helsinki, Finland, started in five games and appeared in 26 this past season at Texas Tech. She was tabbed the 2023 CUSA Defensive Player of the Year and earned second-team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team honors in 2022-23 while at UTEP. As a Miner, she appeared in 79 games, earning 75 starts, and posted 8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
