Arizona women’s basketball has added another piece to its roster, and this one comes with a little legal uncertainty attached.
Dionna Gray, the former Kent State point guard, was officially listed on Arizona’s roster Friday, Oct. 23 as a fifth-year player. Head coach Becky Burke said Gray has been around the program for “about a week,” though her first public appearance with the Wildcats came a day earlier in the team’s scrimmage against Embry-Riddle (Ariz.).
“She was coached by Coach [Todd] Starkey at Kent State,” Burke said. “When she got her year of eligibility and said she had some interest in coming to Arizona and just kind of giving us some depth, I knew exactly what she brings to the table.
She’s a little jitterbug. She’s got a defensive mindset.
She’s a veteran.”
Gray’s path to Arizona runs through a cluster of court rulings that have opened the door for several athletes across the country. She was part of a case in Monroe Country, Indiana, where Monroe County Circuit Court judge Kara E.
Krothe granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Indiana football defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, among others. That group also included several women’s basketball players.
For now, though, the bigger issue is how long Gray can stay on the floor. The NCAA is appealing the ruling and has filed for an expedited briefing this week, according to Hoosiers football beat reporter Michael Niziolek.
Burke said Arizona is not approaching the situation with blind hope. The Wildcats have already dealt with a similar eligibility swing this season, when football players Ismail Mahdi, Max Harris, and Sullivan Moon were first granted a temporary restraining order before that was later overturned by the same judge after Mahdi and Harris had already played in games.
“Adding her is just a perk, a benefit,” Burke said. “Obviously, we were comfortable without her, but when she became available and it was the right fit, we decided to jump on it.
I’m not going to overthink it. I’m going to use her while she’s available, as long as that continues, and then if all of a sudden she’s not, we’re also prepared for that.”
There’s still another wrinkle to sort out beyond eligibility. The courts are handling the athletics side of the issue, but university enrollment rules are separate, and many schools are already deep into the academic year.
As of July, Gray had apparently planned to attend grad school at Kent State. Her sports eligibility was not established until late September, while Arizona began classes in late August. The school was asked when Gray enrolled, but had not responded by the end of the day Friday.
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