WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women's basketball team added another piece to its talented roster when the NCAA granted immediate eligibility for Rokia Doumbia on Wednesday morning. The junior will make her Purdue debut Thursday night against Northwestern at 7 p.m.
Doumbia joined the Boilermakers over the summer after spending two seasons at Arkansas, where she appeared in 52 games, playing 11.4 minutes a night. Doumbia averaged 2.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game over her two campaigns in Fayetteville. Her production upped to 3.3 points and 4.2 boards per contest as a sophomore in 2019-20. Doumbia was a part of the Arkansas squad that reached the finals of the SEC Tournament and the third round of the WNIT in 2018-19.
The Bamako, Mali, native was a four-star recruit out of high school, splitting time between IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn. Doumbia has extensive international experience from her prep career. She was named the MVP of the FIBA U16 Africa Championship and three-year member of the U16 Mali National Team.
Dombia's waiver came in prior to the NCAA blanket eligibility waiver that was passed by the NCAA on Wednesday afternoon.
"We're excited to get Rokia on the floor," head coach Sharon Versyp said. "She has helped this team get better in practice during the offseason, and we can't wait to let show off her explosiveness on both ends of the floor. I want to thank Brad Boswell and Tom Mitchell in compliance and Tanya Foster in academics, as well as everyone who helped throughout this process."
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