Cavaliers Now

Virginia Women's Basketball Adds Long Beach State Transfer Casey Valenti-Paea

Matt Newton

Long Beach State transfer guard Casey Valenti-Paea is transferring to Virginia women's basketball.
Long Beach State transfer guard Casey Valenti-Paea is transferring to Virginia women's basketball. / The Big West/X

Coach Mox is on a roll in the transfer portal. Virginia women's basketball has now reeled in four transfer commitments this offseason as UVA head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton announced the signing of Long Beach State transfer guard Casey Valenti-Paea on Saturday afternoon.

A 5'9" guard from Melbourne, Australia, Valenti-Paea began her career at Buffalo, where she played in 11 games over two seasons before transferring to Long Beach State. After redshirting the 2022-2023 season with an injury, Valenti-Paea appeared in 33 games this season, including 32 starts, and averaged 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. She shot 38.6% from beyond the arc on 2.7 three-point attempts per game and shot 84.8% from the free throw line.

“I’m very excited about the addition of Casey to our program,” said Coach Mox. “Casey is going to enhance our culture and on-court play. She is an athletic, versatile guard who can score and defend. Casey can also shoot the 3 at a high clip and get in the paint to create for herself and others. She adds depth to our guard play. Wahoo Nation, you are going to love her.”

Having already reinforced their depleted front court with three forward transfers this offseason, the Cavaliers turned their attention to supplying depth at guard and did so successfully with the addition of Valenti-Paea, who provides experience, playmaking, defense, and shooting to the Virginia backcourt. Valenti-Paea comes to UVA with two years of eligibility remaining.

Virginia has now signed four transfers this offseason, as Casey Valenti-Paea joins Maryland center Hawa Doumbouya, Miami forward Latasha Lattimore, and North Carolina forward RyLee Grays. UVA is also adding 6'2" forward and four-star recruit Breona Hurd as an incoming freshman this summer.

Virginia has filled 11 of its maximum 15 scholarship spots for the 2024-2025 women's basketball season.

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Matt Newton

MATT NEWTON

Managing Editor and Publisher, CavaliersNow Email: mattnewton@virginia.eduTwitter: @mattynewtssWebsite | LinkedIn | Instagram Matt Newton is the managing editor and publisher at CavaliersNow. He has been covering UVA athletics since 2019 and has been the managing editor at CavaliersNow since launching the site in August 2021. Matt covers all things UVA sports, including Virginia basketball and football news and recruiting, former Wahoos in the pros, and coverage of all 23 of the NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. A native of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Matt grew up a huge Philadelphia sports fan, but has also been a UVA sports fanatic his entire life thanks to his parents, who are alums of the University of Virginia. Matt followed in his parents' footsteps and attended UVA from 2017-2021, graduating with a degree in Media Studies and a minor in Economics in May of 2021.