Cal Women's Basketball: Bears Land Texas Transfer Gisella Maul

The 5-foot-11 guard is a former Top-25 national prospect whom the Bears recruited out of high school.

Cal signee Gisella Maul / Cal Athletics

The Cal women’s basketball team has added sophomore guard Gisella Maul, a transfer from Texas and former top-50 national recruit, the school announced Thursday.

Maul, a 5-foot-11 native of Cedar Park, Texas, averaged 2.3 points over 9.3 minutes in 27 games last season for the Longhorns, including three games in the NCAA tournament.

“Gisella brings much-needed length and athleticism to our backcourt,” Cal coach Charmin Smith said in a statement. “She is a versatile guard who can score at all three levels and defend multiple positions. 

“We wanted Gisella out of high school. I’m glad we got a second chance and she is all in on being a Bear. I loved hearing the clarity and determination in her voice as she articulated what she was looking for in this next stage of her journey. I believe Cal is the perfect fit.”

At Cedar Park High School, Maul was ranked as the 38th-best player in the country by ESPN and was named the the 2021-22 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year.

As a freshman last season, Maul twice scored nine points in a game and a season-high six assists for the Longhorns, who went 33-5 and beat Alabama and Gonzaga in the NCAAs before losing to North Carolina State in the Sweet 16.

Cal is coming off a 19-15 season — its best under Smith — and was 7-11 in the Pac-12. The Bears advanced to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, where they won their opener before being eliminated.

After the season, Smith signed a contract extension through the 2028-29 campaign.

“I’m coming to Cal because they have so much to offer,” Maul said. “From an academic and basketball standpoint, it feels like the perfect fit for me. The culture and environment here is unlike any other and I’m grateful to join the family. 

“I’m excited to play for Charmin because she truly buys into her players. She’s building something special at Cal and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

Maul led Cedar Park to back-to-back Texas 5A state championships and only lost five games over her three seasons. The team was 37-0 and the Texas Class 5A state champion in 2022, when Maul averaged 25.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.9 steals.

Maul is the third transfer player the Bears have added this offseason, joining guards Jayda Noble (Washington) and Kayla Williams (USC).