WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – University of Hartford women's basketball head coach Kim McNeill announced the signing of graduate transfer Ella Awobajo on Friday. A 6-1 forward, she joins the Hawks after playing at Boston College.
 
"I am excited to announce the addition of Ella Awobajo to our Hartford family," McNeill said. "She is a top-level athlete who has the ability to score inside and outside."

A native of Kaduna, Nigeria, Awobajo averaged 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 points in 15.5 minutes per game for Boston College in 2015-16. That season was highlighted by a career-best performance in the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, where she notched her first career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in a first-round win against Virginia Tech.

"Ella provides a level of maturity and poise that will be instrumental for my young post group," said McNeill. "She has an infectious personality that makes others gravitate to her."

Prior to joining the Eagles, Awobajo played two years of high school basketball at Neumann-Goretti, where she was a McDonald's All-American nominee as a senior. She helped the team win the Philadelphia Catholic League Conference and the District AA Championship, and was named All-Catholic League and PIAA All-State that season.

Awobajo is one of six incoming players to have signed with the Hawks for the upcoming 2018-19 campaign. She joins Jabria Ingram (Upper Darby, Pa./Newmann-Goretti), Charlette Leurs (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx River – Lehman Campus), Jordan McLemore (Palisades Park, N.J./Lodi Immaculate Conception), Sierra Smith (Madison, Va./Saint Anne's Belfield School) and Azariah Wade (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Grime).

In her second year at the helm, McNeill piloted the Hawks to the title game of the America East Championship, making Hartford the first-ever No. 6 seed in conference history to advance that far. Hartford finished the season with a 19-14 overall record, marking the program's most wins since 2012-13.

The Hawks concluded the season ranked among the NCAA's top-10 in several defensive categories, including steals (5th), steals per game (6th), turnover margin (7th) and turnovers forced (8th). In addition, Hartford broke the program record for steals for the second consecutive season, recording the second-most in America East history with 399.

Hartford will lose three seniors from last year's squad to graduation: Darby Lee (All-Conference Third Team), Janelle Harrison (All-Defensive Team) and Mary Pattison.