NEWCASTLE, England --- Recent Chattanooga women's basketball alumnus Jada Guinn saw a childhood dream come to fruition this weekend, as the UTC grad officially signed a pro deal with the Newcastle Eagles of the Women's British Basketball League, as announced by the club on Sunday.
Guinn, who played for the Mocs this past 2023-24 season, played an integral role in Chattanooga capturing its 23rd SoCon regular season and 20th SoCon Tournament titles this year. The Oak Ridge, Tennessee, native finished as the Mocs' leading scorer (19.5 points/game) on the season alongside being tabbed as a First Team All-SoCon honoree and SoCon Tournament MVP.
"I'm excited to be joining the Newcastle Eagles," Guinn said. "They're the all-time most successful British basketball program, which speaks for itself. I'm thankful for this opportunity and I'm looking forward to playing at the highest level."
"My time at UTC has prepared me for this moment. I've learned and grown so much as a player over this past year, and I can't thank Coach Poppie and his staff enough. They spent countless hours in the gym and watching film with me and it's helped get me prepared to play against the best."
An elite scorer while playing in the Scenic City, Guinn's 643 total points scored for the Mocs in 2023-24 ranked as the third-most points scored by a UTC player in a single season in program history. The grad transfer was a starter in all 33 of the Mocs' games on the year, and she went on to score double-digit points in 32 of those contests including netting a career-high 33 points against Mercer in the SoCon Tournament Semifinals.
Guinn wrapped up her collegiate career as a member of the 1,500-point club, having scored 1,627 total points across her five-year playing career split between Chattanooga (2023-24) and Tennessee Tech (2019-23). Guinn ultimately received her master's in business administration from UTC this past spring.
"Thankfully I was able to be surrounded by the coaches that worked for everything, and it was able to rub off on me to just outwork everyone," Guinn added. "I know with this mindset I will be prepared for the next level, and it will just allow me to continue to grow as a player and person."
The Newcastle Eagles are one of 11 teams that currently play in the Women's British Basketball League, the top-flight for women's basketball in Great Britain since its founding in 2014. When including the Newcastle Eagles men's team, the program ranks as the most successful of the British Basketball League, with the teams having won a combined 28 trophies. Guinn joins former Furman standout Tierra Hodges (2016-22) as one of two former Southern Conference standouts now donning Newcastle jerseys.
In the most recent 2023-24 season, Newcastle wrapped up the year ranked sixth in the league standings after ending the regular season with a record of 9-11. Despite finishing in the middle of the table, the Eagles were able to string together a deep playoff run that ultimately ended in the WBBL League Final at The O2 Arena London.
Guinn and the rest of the Eagles squad are set to open their 2024-25 season later this September, as Newcastle is set to host its "The Launch" preseason event on September 6 with regular season competition set to kick off not long after.
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