TYRA WHITEHEAD

The 6”3” American forward who hails from Richmond, Virginia, joins us following a recent spell playing in Sweden for professional side, Wetterbygden Sparks, where she averaged 12.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Prior to making the move overseas to Sweden, Whitehead had an illustrious high school and collegiate in the US, concluding her career at San José State Spartans as one of the most accomplished players in the program’s history.

Prior to bursting onto the scene with the Spartans, Whitehead also had an outstanding high school career. During her time at Cosby High School, Tyra won three consecutive Virginia High School League Class 6A state championships and became a household name throughout the state and country with her strong post play and defensive prowess.

It was at Spartans, however, where Tyra’s career really blossomed. Whitehead started all 31 games for the Spartans in the 2019-2020 season averaging 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.3 assists. During this campaign, Whitehead placed herself in San Jose State history through a few different accomplishments including: the third-highest single-season field goal percentage after shooting 51.1% (185-for-362) from the floor, recording the second 20-20 game in program history with 22 points and 20 rebounds against Fresno State, and becoming just the fifth Spartan in programme history to average a double-double in a season.

These accomplishments led to Whitehead being signed to a training camp contract with WNBA side Washington Mystics in April 2021, but Tyra was ultimately waived by the team before the start of the season.

Despite the setback, Whitehead remained determined to continue pursuing her basketball dreams, and will now have the opportunity to showcase her skills on the court for the Rebels, who are looking to make another push for the WBBL playoffs this season