Caldwell Joins Cal as Graduate Transfer
BERKELEY - Guard Receé Caldwell will join the Cal women's basketball team as a graduate transfer for the 2018-19 season, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb announced on Tuesday. A 5'9" guard, Caldwell graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in business and will have one year of eligibility remaining for the Golden Bears.
"We are truly looking forward to having Receé in a Cal uniform," said Gottlieb. "She's the first graduate transfer our program has ever had and is going to bring to this team some special things that you would expect of a fifth-year student-athlete. She's a very crafty and gifted scorer. She knows how to create her own shot while also creating shots for others. In addition, Recee' is a coaches' kid. She's communicative and has been tested in a number of different experiences on the floor. She loves this game so much and is a true competitor who can help us take our program to the next level."
Caldwell began her college career at UCLA, averaging 6.9 points per game in 17 appearances for the Bruins before transferring to Texas Tech at the end of her freshman season. After sitting out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Caldwell made an immediate impact for the Red Raiders during the 2016-17 campaign, averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game, which ranked eighth overall in the Big-12. Caldwell earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors at the conclusion of the season and ranked sixth in the conference with 4.5 assists per game. A proven threat from beyond the arc, Caldwell also ranked in the top-10 in the conference in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 36.4 percent from deep on the season including a 7-for-12 performance in a 38-point performance at Texas A&M. Caldwell averaged 10.7 points per game and 6.0 assists per game in 13 appearances for Texas Tech during the 2017-18 campaign before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
A two-time Academic All-Big 12 Selection, Caldwell will enroll in Cal's School of Public Health as a graduate student and is immediately eligible to play for the Bears.
"Receé is an incredibly bright and mature young woman," Gottlieb said. "During this process, a lot of our conversations were about more than just the next 365 days as a basketball player at Cal. They were about the lifetime of connections and opportunities that a degree from this university will bring. Recee' has a very forward-thinking mindset and is committed to accomplishing her goals, both in basketball and beyond."
Born in Hemet, California, Caldwell spent much of her childhood in the Los Angeles area before moving to San Antonio, Texas, where she was a 2014 McDonald's All American selection. A five-star recruit and one of the top-ranked point guards in the nation coming out of high school, Caldwell is a two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball, with stints on both the Under-16 and Under-18 National Teams.
Caldwell and incoming freshman McKenzie Forbes, a 2018 McDonald's All America selection, join a Golden Bear squad that finished fifth in the Pac-12 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
Call the Gold Standard Sales and Service line at (800) GO BEARS (462-3277) or visit the CalBears.com ticket page today to secure your spot in Haas Pavilion for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for ticket information regarding partial and single-game plans.
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