UCLA Signs Natalie Chou to GIA Scholarship
June 15, 2018 | Women's Basketball
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The Michael Price Family UCLA Head Women's Basketball Coach Cori Close announced today the signing of Natalie Chou (Plano, Texas/Plano West HS/Baylor) to a GIA scholarship contract. She will be a redshirt junior at UCLA next season and will officially begin classes during summer school.
"Natalie is a wonderful addition to our Bruin family," Coach Close said. "I love her versatility, her ability to shoot the three, her work ethic and love of the game. But I also love the kind of teammate she is and how much she will add to our culture. Natalie comes with an expectancy to win championships and I love adding her mindset to what we are relentlessly pursuing."
Chou, a 6-1 guard, was rated as the No. 8 prospect in her class and No. 2 at her position by ESPN Hoopgurlz, No. 12 by All Star Girls Report, and No. 24 overall and No. 4 at her position by Prospects Nation.
Chou has played the last two seasons at Baylor (2016-17 and 2017-18) before deciding to transfer. She started the first 21 games of the 2017-18 season before suffering an injury to her nonshooting wrist, which required surgery. She was named a Second Team Academic All-Big 12 performer in 2018 and also named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2017. Last year at Baylor, she appeared in 27 games overall, averaging 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. She scored in double figures 11 times, including four times in Big 12 action. Chou pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds, while adding 13 points for her first career double-double vs. North Dakota. She netted a career-high 22 points in the season-opener vs. Lamar, which was also the first 20-point game of her career. She distributed a career-high seven assists at Iowa State and matched her career-high with five three-pointers vs. Iowa State (on six attempts). She also matched her career-high in steals with four vs. Central Arkansas. For the season, she shot .382 from the floor, .333 from three-point range and a team-best .909 from the free-throw line.
As a freshman (2016-17), she led the Lady Bears and ranked sixth in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage (.423). She appeared in all 37 games, averaging 4.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game off the bench. She registered double figures seven times, including in her debut when she had 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals vs. Houston Baptist in the season-opener. She tallied 10 points vs. Mississippi Valley State in 14 minutes and scored a season-high 15 points vs. Texas State, nailing a career-high five three pointers on six attempts. She dished out a season-high six assists and added 14 points with four three-pointers in 20 minutes played vs. Winthrop. Recorded a season-high four steals at Oklahoma State in addition to three points, four assists and three boards in 16 minutes. Scored in double figures with 14 points (4-7 3FG) in 23 minutes at TCU. Played a season-high 26 minutes vs. Oklahoma State, tallying nine points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Pulled down a season-high eight rebounds and scored five points vs. Texas Tech in 21 minutes. Registered 11 points, going 3-for-4 from three-point range, in 22 minutes at No. 19/16 Oklahoma. Recorded 12 points, four rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes vs. Texas Southern in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
A 2016 McDonald's and WBCA High School All-American, Chou was also a Jordan Brand Classic selection and a finalist for 2016 McDonald's All-American Games Morgan Wootten Player of the Year Award. A three-time first team TABC All-State selection (2014, 2015, 2016), Chou was named the District 6-6A MVP in 2016, the Offensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015 and Newcomer of the Year in 2013. A three-year starter at Plano West High School, she averaged 24 points and 7 rebounds as a senior, guiding the team to a 33-5 record. She became the first player in program history to advance to the regional tournament in 2016. She started all 35 games of her junior season, averaging 22.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. She also led the Wolves to a Texas 6A State Regional Championship in 2015. Chou also played with USA Basketball, winning a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship and a silver medal at the 2015 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship.
"I am excited to join the UCLA Bruin family," Chou said. "The world class education and the championship legacy at UCLA is unmatched. I am truly blessed to be able to further my education and basketball career at such an amazing university and I'm looking forward to calling Los Angeles home."