STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford has announced the addition of Jordan Hamilton to its women's basketball team, joining the program as a graduate transfer for the 2021-22 season.
A 5-8 guard, Hamilton originally hails from Frisco, Texas and spent the last four seasons at Northwestern, where she helped revitalize a program into the national spotlight. Playing in 110 career games, with 85 appearances in the starting lineup, Hamilton will be playing a fifth year due to a COVID-19-related NCAA rule granting an extra season for student-athletes who competed in 2020-21 winter sports.
"We are very excited to welcome Jordan as our first graduate transfer ever," commented The Setsuko & Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball Tara VanDerveer. "She is a talented guard that will bring valuable experience to our backcourt. With so many great players returning, we are looking forward to a high level of competition every day on the court. Getting to know her, it's clear that Jordan will be a great fit for our program, bringing with her a hard-working attitude and high basketball IQ."
For her career, Hamilton has averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals while averaging 28.7 minutes per game. Her highest scoring average came this past season as a senior, as Hamilton started all 25 games for the Wildcats, averaging 9.0 points per game. She scored in double figures 11 times in 2020-21, including a season-high 19 points against Iowa in conference play. She also featured a standout performance in the NCAA Tournament, nearly upsetting Louisville in the second round as a seven-seed, scoring 17 points, including three 3-pointers, with five rebounds. Her career-high in points came as a freshman, where she scored 22 in a win over Wisconsin. She owns one double-double in her career, with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Nebraska as a senior, and has dished nine assists three times in her four years as a Wildcat.
"I would compare my college career to fairy tale book," said Hamilton. "The first few chapters led me to a prestigious academic institution in Northwestern, playing Power 5 basketball in the Big Ten Conference. I was able to take part in turning a program into a nationally ranked team, along with winning a conference championship for the first time in 30 years at the school. Getting the chance to play two rounds in the NCAA Tournament made my story that much better. I met wonderful people along the way, whom I will cherish for life."
Northwestern went 75-48 with Hamilton on campus, including a program record mark of 26-4 in 2019-20, as the Wildcats won the Big Ten for the first time in three decades. Hamilton is set to graduate with a degree in communications and business institutions. She plans to obtain a master's degre in liberal arts at Stanford next year.
"Northwestern was an unforgettable chapter of my life," added Hamilton. "Now, I've been granted the greatest gift, to begin a new chapter at Stanford, and I cannot wait to see what it holds. I'm thrilled to enroll at Stanford, not just because of its academic reputation, but for the chance to get to know another incredible group of people who I can build lasting bonds with for life. For some, finding a family atmosphere is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I'm blessed to be able to do it twice. The quest I've taken so far further excites me to reach greater heights at Stanford. I'm looking forward to helping maintain the championship tradition this season, and I want a chance to finish what I didn't get a chance to this last year in the NCAA Tournament. I can't wait to get to work and make my time at Stanford the best chapter yet."
Hamilton will join a program set to defend its national championship, as the Cardinal went 31-2 last season, ending the year on a 20-game win streak with both the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles under its belt. The Cardinal will return 12 of its 13 players from last year's roster.