Like most Turks, Derin Erdogan was locked in her apartment for weeks as the country implemented strict COVID-19 restrictions that pretty much banned everything except trips to the grocery store.
So when she finally joined the Arizona Wildcats this summer, she wasn’t in the shape she needed to be. That hasn’t stopped her from making a strong impression on her new head coach.
“Derin’s been amazing,” Adia Barnes said Friday. “Derin is someone who has so much talent. She’s got power. She’s not that’s typical European player that’s considered a little bit more soft, face-up.