Valparaiso University women's basketball add Denver Transfer Grace White (Red Lake Nation) to Roster

Valparaiso University women's basketball coach Mary Evans has given her program a boost by announcing the addition of two newcomers who will join the team for the 2019-2020 academic and athletic year.

Zoe MacKay Zacker (St. Charles, Ill. / Montini Catholic) has signed to join the program as a true freshman, while Grace White (Redby, Minn. / Red Lake Nation) will come to Valpo as a transfer from the University of Denver.

White played in 29 games for the Pioneers as a freshman in 2017-18, making five starts. She averaged 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist while playing 14.2 minutes per game. In 2018-2019, she played in 31 of the team's 32 games, once again averaging 4.6 points while pulling down 4.2 rebounds per contest. During her high school career, White racked up 2,400 points.

"From her high school days to now, Grace has shown she is a very versatile player," Evans said. "She can really score the basketball, and her best quality is her passing ability. The last two years, she's played a lot in the post. Her skills set will fit right into our system and how we play."

White plans to study psychology and communication at Valpo and intends to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree.

"There were various factors that went into my decision including the education, location, coaching staff and team," White said. "It came down to how I felt when I was on campus and how welcomed I felt on my visit. Everything lined up for me to come to Valpo and it felt right."

White was teammates with Valpo sophomore Carie Weinman (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South [Denver]) when both were freshmen at Denver in 2017-18. Talking with her former teammate about Valpo's culture and program helped make her decision an easy one.

"From the first conversation I had with Grace, I've loved talking to her," Evans said. "She's a very mature individual and has a unique background. Her outlook on life, her goals and aspirations and what she wants to accomplish are amazing. Having those conversations with her through the recruiting process made me like her more and more. She's a very driven young person who wants to find a way to give back to her community, and understands that basketball can be a great platform to do that."

White comes from a Native American reservation and is the first person from her tribe to compete in Division-I athletics.

"It's important for me to be a role model for native youth to earn their degrees," White said. "It's crucial to have Native Americans be successful in their education and in their careers. My status as a Division-I athlete has created an audience of native children, and that allows me to set an example for them. I have a lot of reasons why I play college basketball and set lofty goals for myself."