Elina Aarnisalo Season 2026-27

2025-26 (UNC)
Played in all 36 games for the University of North Carolina, making 26 starts ... Scored a career-high 22 points in the regular season finale against Duke ... Only Tar Heel to post multiple 20 point outings, going for 20 points at Virginia, 22 points against Duke and 21 points vs. Maryland ... Shot a career-best four threes against the Cavaliers and the Blue Devils ... Seven games with five or more assists ... Grabbed a career-high eight rebounds against Elon and against Western Illinois ... Snagged a career-best four steals at Boston College ...18 games scoring in double-figures ... Led Carolina in scoring in seven games ... Paced the Tar Heels in assists in 13 contests ... Drained 38 threes at a 40.4% clip ... Averaged 10.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game ... CSC Academic All-District Team.

2024-25
Appeared in all 37 games for the Bruins, making 10 starts during her freshman campaign… Scored a season-high 19 points against Colgate on Nov. 10, shooting 8-of-10 from the floor… Tallied a season-high 11 assists against Arkansas on Nov. 17… A pivotal piece in UCLA’s win over No. 1 South Carolina on Nov. 24; scored 13 points and dished four assists against the Gamecocks in the Bruins’ first win over a No. 1-ranked team… Averaged 5.1 points, 3.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 21.0 minutes per game.

PERSONAL
UCLA added an international student-athlete to its roster in the recruiting class of 2024; Elina Aarnisalo of Finland signed with the Bruins after verbally committing to UCLA in May 2023. "I was out recruiting this summer and a very successful head coach said to me, 'Elina is going to be a difference-maker in your program,'" relayed coach Close. "She is a great facilitator, she is aggressive, she's a great shooter and passer, she gets to the free throw line, she is just an impact-level player. We're really lucky to have her."
 
The 5-foot-10 guard has played in the Finland Korisliiga with HBA-Marksy, averaging 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game. She is currently rostered on the Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen in the BNXT League, Belgium's top division for women's basketball. The Finnish guard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals on 46.7% shooting with the Kangoeroes during the 2023-24 Eurocup. Aarnisalo lit it up from outside, shooting 62.5% from distance (5-8 3FG) in four games played.
 
Aarnisalo led her team in scoring with 17.9 points in the 2022 FIBA U18 Women's European Championships. She added 4.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game to her stat line.