Tampa, Fla. – April 20, 2024 – South Florida women’s basketball head coach Jose Fernandez announced the addition of incoming freshmen Raina Tomasicka and junior college transfer Jeniffer Silva. The pair will join the Bulls for the approaching 2024-25 campaign and continue to build off of the incoming class of Mama Dembele, Ines Piper, Amy Thompson, and Yana Karamfilova.
Tomasicka heads to the Bay Area with a wealth of international playing experience. The Jekabpils, Latvia native, spent 2023-24 playing for Tarbes GB in the France LBF. In 2022-23 the forward played for Trutnov in the Czech Republic ZBL. Tomasicka has represented Latvia in a pair of FIBA competitions. In The 2023 FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship, she averaged 10.5 ppg and in the 2022 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship, across seven games she averaged 17.9 points per contest.
Coach Fernandez on Tomasicka: “Raina (Tomasicka) is a natural scorer and will be able to play multiple positions for us. She has great length and size for a guard, with the ability to rise and score over smaller defenders. She will bring even more depth to the guard position.”
Silva heads to Tampa Bay after spending two years at South Plains College (NJCAA). During the 2023-24 season the Recife, Brazil native started in 29 games and appeared in 31 contests for South Plains. She averaged 9.4 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per contest, collected 13 double-digit scoring performances, had a trio of double-figure rebounding games, and logged three or more blocks 10 times. The Center also represented Brazil in the 2019 FIBA South American U17 Women’s Championship, where she averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Silva helped Brazil to a second-place finish in the event.
Coach Fernandez on Silva: “Jeniffer (Silva) will bring great size and an inside presence on both ends of the floor. Her ability to score at the rim and away from the basket brings versatility at the five spot.”
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South Florida women’s basketball has made 18 postseason tournament appearances and had nine NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 24 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided the Bulls to 11 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2008-09 WNIT championship, has won over 450 career games, and is the all-time wins leader in the American Athletic Conference.
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