Arizona lands Oregon transfer Taylor Chavez, the 3-point shooter they needed

3-point shooting has long been a weakness for Arizona women’s basketball, so their latest addition from the transfer portal is a big one.

The Wildcats have landed Oregon guard Taylor Chavez, a 5-foot-10 junior guard who was a career 41 percent 3-point shooter with the Ducks.

She was two years of eligibility left, but it’s unclear if she is immediately eligible to play.

The Surprise, Arizona native averaged 4.1 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 19.0 minutes in 19 games (nine starts) this season and shot 33.3 percent from 3, which was a down year for her (perhaps because she missed five games because her grandmother contracted COVID-19).

As a sophomore, Chavez was the Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year after averaging 6.5 points per game while shooting 48 percent from 3, the best mark in the conference. Her Oregon bio also said she played “tremendous defense.”

Chavez was the No. 61 recruit in her class according to ESPN, as well the Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year after her senior season at Valley Vista High School in which she averaged 23.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 5.3 steals per game and won a second straight 6A championship.

Not only will Chavez bring some much-needed 3-point shooting to the Wildcats, who only shot 31 percent from 3 in the regular season, she can also help their backcourt replace All-American Aari McDonald, who is off to the WNBA.

Arizona already added its Trinity Baptiste replacement by landing Vanderbilt transfer forward Koi Love.

Here’s what Arizona’s scholarship count looks like after adding Love and Chavez. Note that women’s basketball programs can have up to 15 scholarship players and Sam Thomas does not count toward Arizona’s total because she is a returning senior.

1. Cate Reese
2. Helena Pueyo
3. Bendu Yeaney
4. Shaina Pellington
5. Lauren Ware
6. Semaj Smith
7. Madi Conner
8. Aaronette Vonleh
9. Gisela Sanchez
10. Anna Gret Asi
11. Derin Erdogan
12. Koi Love
13. Taylor Chavez