As the Colorado women’s basketball roster continues to come together for the 2024-25 season, the Buffaloes have added some intriguing size and untapped potential.
On Sunday night, former Texas Tech center Emilia “JoJo” Nworie announced that she has decided to transfer to CU to play for head coach JR Payne and the Buffaloes.
The 6-foot-5 Nworie will be the tallest player at CU since Jaimie Curtis played for the Buffs during the 2017-18 season.
A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Nworie was at Texas Tech for two years but never played in a game for the Lady Raiders. She missed each of the last two seasons with injuries, but the Buffs hope she’ll be healthy and ready to go for next season.
In 2022-23, a blood clot caused Nworie to have to sit out the entire campaign. Last year, she suffered a torn ACL during preseason practice.
Before going to Texas Tech in 2022, Nworie played one season at College of Southern Idaho, receiving National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American honorable mention. She was rated as the top junior college prospect in the 2022 class.
In her one season at CSI, Nworie averaged 12.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the Golden Eagles, helping them to a 30-3 record and the Region 18 championship. She also earned first-team Region 18 honors.
During that season with the Golden Eagles, Nworie set a single-game school record with 24 rebounds in a win against Southern Nevada. She also had 30 points in a game against Utah State Eastern.
Nworie comes to CU with three seasons to play since she used a redshirt year and would likely receive a medical hardship waiver to get an extra year of eligibility.
Nworie is the fourth transfer addition of the offseason for the Buffs, joining Nyamer Diew (Iowa State), Lior Garzon (Oklahoma State) and Jade Masogayo (Missouri State).
Of the 12 players currently on the roster, eight are newcomers, including four incoming freshmen.
By getting Nworie, the Buffs are adding to their competition for minutes in the post. Masogayo (6-3) and incoming freshman Tabitha Betson (6-2) will also compete in the paint.
The Buffs will also have some size with Diew (6-2) and Garzon (6-1) on the wing, along with returner Sara-Rose Smith (6-1) and incoming freshmen Grace Oliver (6-1) and Erin Powell (6-0).
Veteran guards Frida Formann and Kindyll Wetta will lead the Buffs on the perimeter, while they’ll also count on redshirt freshman Kennedy Sanders and incoming freshman Lova Lagerlid.
CU still has three open scholarship spots.
