SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga women's head coach Lisa Fortier announced the signing of Yvonne Ejim to a National Letter of Intent for the 2020-21 season Wednesday.
 
Yvonne Ejim
Calgary, Alberta (Canada) | Edge School | 6-0 | Forward
 
Ejim, a six-foot forward out of Calgary, Alberta, brings even more international playing experience to the Bulldogs' roster. The forward most recently competed at the 2019 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup in Thailand, and last year she averaged 6.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the U17 Canadian National Team at the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Belarus.
 
Last season, Ejim averaged 24.8 points per game on 56.4 percent shooting to go along with 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.3 steals. She led her team to back-to-back provincial championship games as well as the city championship title in 2019, the first time the school had won in 40 years. For her efforts, she was named Miss Basketball Alberta following her junior season, and she is currently ranked as the second-best forward in Canada. Her sophomore season, Ejim picked up MVP honors after averaging 22.0 points per game shooting 55.4 percent from the floor with 13.7 rebounds per game; she was also named MVP following her freshman campaign.
 
"I chose Gonzaga because of the inviting and positive environment," Ejim said. "Throughout my recruiting process, I felt part of their program because of the connections I made with the coaches and the girls on the team. It was something I didn't want to give up, and I knew this was the place I was going to get the best four years out of my life. The basketball and academics are a bonus, but the family atmosphere I felt from the university as a whole was something I really wanted, and I got it."
 
Ejim was also selected as one of 34 players across the globe to participate in the NBA Global Academy, an academy she attended this past year. She also competed in both volleyball and track and field throughout her high school career. The three-sport athlete carries a 3.94 GPA and earned Honors with Distinction.
 
"Yvonne is a tremendous athlete," Fortier said. "She is effective from all over the court. She handles the ball like a guard and defends like a power forward. She is very balanced as a basketball player, and she is capable of bigtime contributions on both the offensive and defensive ends. Yvonne's versatility will enable us to utilize her in many different roles.  She is such a positive and energetic person and is going to be a great Zag. We are so happy to welcome her to the family.

We are really excited about our recruiting class," Fortier continued. "They are all such versatile, and competitive players. We have muscle and finesse, speed and skill…really, we have a little of everything in this class. These three understand what it takes to be a champion, and they are winners. Along with the basketball, they fit our program perfectly as students and the type of teammates they are as well. We can't wait until we can get to work with this new group of Zags!"