TCU women’s basketball center transferring to SMU
Former TCU women’s basketball center Klara Bradshaw joined SMU’s 2015-16 signing class on April 15, completing a transfer from the Horned Frogs to the Hilltop.
Bradshaw said the decision was simply about being more comfortable in SMU’s system, and it involved no animosity between her and the TCU program.
“I just want to say I have the utmost respect for coach [Raegan] Pebley and her staff,” Bradshaw said. “What she’s trying to do, there’s no problems between us or anything like that.
“The reason I decided to leave was because I didn’t think that their system was really fitting my strengths.”
Bradshaw, an Emory Rains alumnus, was recruited to TCU by then head coach Jeff Mittie as part of his 2013 signing class. Mittie’s base 2-3 zone defense produced excellent shot-blockers in recent years, such as center Latricia Lovings.
But Mittie left for Kansas State after Bradshaw’s freshman season, and his successor, Pebley, brought with her a positionless system that utilizes a high-pressure, full-court press and an emphasis on the transition game.
“They want fast tempo and a lot of foot speed, and that’s something I really do not have being a 6-foot-6 true center,” Bradshaw said.
She did not allow herself to think about transferring until after the end of the 2014-15 season, wanting to give her all for her teammates and give the changed program a fair evaluation.
Bradshaw averaged 9.2 minutes last season, tallying 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds. In her freshman year, Bradshaw averaged 13.2 minutes, posting 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in Mittie’s 2-3 scheme.
Her second-half performance against Baylor on Jan. 27 was her best résumé booster, tallying 10 points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes against the 2014-15 Big 12 Champions.
She alerted the TCU coaching staff of her intent to transfer about three weeks ago, after traveling home to discuss her future with her parents.
She was thankful for the year she spent under Pebley, who was a star post for the University of Colorado and spent two seasons in the WNBA.
“Most coaches are usually guards, so having a post coach she really knew a lot and I don’t think anyone else could have given me that information,” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw becomes SMU’s only true center and believes she can thrive under coach Rhonda Rompola, who recruited Bradshaw out of high school.
Most importantly to Bradshaw, SMU is a positive fit for her major — journalism.
“When I decided to transfer, I was thinking what’s important to me and I knew it had to have a strong academic field and, when I graduated, a degree that mattered,” Bradshaw said.
This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 8:37 PM with the headline "TCU women’s basketball center transferring to SMU."