LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville women's basketball coach Jeff Walz added a proven scorer and playmaker from the transfer portal, landing former NC State guard Zamareya Jones.
ESPN ranks her as the No. 7 player available in the portal.
Jones, a former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, comes to Louisville after a breakout sophomore season in Raleigh, where she averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while starting 30 of 31 contests. She shot 42.1% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range, emerging as one of the ACC’s more dynamic perimeter threats.
Her production was consistent. Jones, a 5-7 guard who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining, scored in double figures 26 times, topped 20 points in six games and delivered a 30-point performance against Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, one of the highest-scoring tournament games in NC State history.
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She also brings efficiency and versatility. Jones ranked among the ACC leaders in three-point shooting, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, and showed an ability to impact games across the stat sheet, including multiple games with five or more assists and several multi-steal performances.
Jones is no stranger to Louisville. She scored 20 points with six assists against the Cardinals last season and had multiple standout performances against ranked opponents, including a 26-point effort at Oklahoma and 25 points against Florida State.
As a freshman, she flashed that potential in a reserve role, averaging 7.1 points per game and delivering big moments off the bench against top competition, including 16 points against No. 1 South Carolina.
Before college, Jones was one of the nation’s top prospects — ranked No. 17 in the ESPNW 100 — and a North Carolina Player of the Year who scored more than 2,000 career points in high school.
Her addition – the first of this transfer portal cycle for Louisville -- gives the Cardinals another experienced, high-level guard as Jeff Walz continues to bolster a strong returning roster following a Sweet 16 season.
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