Editor's Note: This article has been modified from its original version. The headline has been updated, and the story now also mentions Jasmine Smith and Nike McClure, when it originally only referenced N'Dea Flye.
It appears the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team will be losing another player following the conclusion of the 2017-18 season due to a transfer.
N’Dea Flye, a freshman guard for the Lobos last season, announced on Twitter Tuesday afternoon her decision to leave the university.
Flye would become the second player to transfer out of the program — Mykiel Burleson, a sophomore guard for the Lobos last season, decided to leave UNM too, likely hoping for more playing time elsewhere.
“I want to start off by saying, thank you UNM for a great freshman season. Thank you to my teammates for not just being there for me on the basketball court, but also off the court. You guys became my family," Flye said in the tweet. "I also want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to play this sport and grow as a human being within this year, which has taught me a lot. With all that being said, I’d like to announce that I’ll be transferring from UNM and re-opening my recruitment. Truly, thank you New Mexico.”
Flye was a big part of UNM’s success last season, starting 32 of the team’s 35 games, while averaging a healthy 25.8 minutes per game as a freshman. Although she wasn't necessarily an offensive weapon — she averaged 6.1 points per game on 29.1 percent shooting — Flye was a big part of UNM’s defensive efforts, which forced an average of 16.5 turnovers per game as a team.
New Mexico also had four seniors on the roster last season, including Cherise Beynon, Tesha Buck, Laneah Bryan, and Alex Lapeyrolerie as well as one unfulfilled scholarship. So the team will undoubtedly look a lot different next season as some new pieces are added into the mix.
The Lobos will add freshmen Quincy Noble, Bre’Asiajah Mathews, Shaiquel McGruder and Jayla Everett. The team will also add transfer Aisia Robertson, who sat out a year after leaving Kansas after her junior season, and junior college transfer Ni’Asia McIntosh.
The departures of Flye and Burleson will result in the Lobos having two open scholarships for next season.
Jasmine Smith, another freshman guard, is also expected to transfer out of the program. Though the team has apparently filled one roster spot after the university announced the signing of Washington State forward Nike McClure, a graduate transfer who will be eligible to play in the upcoming season.
Matthew Narvaiz is a senior sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz.
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