CHICAGO – UIC head women's basketball coach Ashleen Bracey added another piece to her inaugural recruiting class on Tuesday, June 14, with the signing of Paige Bradford.
 
"I am very excited to add Paige to our Flames WBB family," said Bracey. "Paige brings a wealth of experience and has proven to be a consistent threat in the paint and on the glass. Paige has the ability to stretch the floor and adds versatility and depth to our inside position. Most importantly, she understands what it takes to win at this level and was an impact player on a postseason team this past season."


 
A graduate transfer, Bradford spent the past two years at Kansas City where she excelled on the court for the 'Roos. Bradford started all 32 games as a senior in 2021-22, averaging nearly a double-double with 9.2 points and a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game to go along with 2.3 assists per contest. The 6-foot forward scored a season-high 19 points in a win over St. Thomas while adding 10 rebounds for a double-double. A native of Davenport, Iowa, Bradford scored 10 or more points 15 times and hauled in double-digit rebounds on nine occasions, finishing the year with four double-doubles. A presence on the glass, Bradford finished the season third in the Summit League in rebounding average. As a team, Kansas City had a historic season, finishing with a 23-9 record and was selected for the WNIT for just the second time in program history.
 
As a junior, Bradford made 20 starts in 22 appearances, shooting a team-leading 54.7 percent from the field. Bradford averaged 10.6 points per game while leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest. The forward scored a career-high 22 points while setting a career high with four blocks in a win over Denver. Bradford would finish the year with 11 games in double figures, six with 10+ rebounds and five double-doubles.
 
Prior to her two-year stint with the 'Roos, Bradford spent her first two seasons at Kirkwood Community College where she helped the team to a combined 56-11 record in two years. Bradford was named a Second Team NJCAA All-America after averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while having the second-best shooting percentage in the country at 61.6%. Bradford was tabbed as the ICCAC Player of the Week four times.
 
Bradford played high school basketball at Davenport North where she was named First Team All-Conference, All-Metro, All-Region and All-State in three consecutive seasons. She ended her career as the fourth-leading scorer in school history after averaging 19.9 points per game as a senior. For her efforts, Bradford was named a McDonald's All-America nominee.