CHICAGO (April 24, 2025) – UIC women's basketball head coach Ashleen Bracey announced its third transfer ahead of the 2025-26 season Thursday afternoon. Samantha Serrano will be joining the Flames with three years of eligibility after playing her freshman year at Florida Southwestern in Cypress Lakes, Fla.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sam Serrano to our Flames family," Bracey said. "Sam is a competitor with a winning mentality.  She aligns with our core values and believes in the culture of our program.  Sam is an efficient three-point shooter with a knack for getting to the rim and free throw line.   She is an active defender that impacts the defensive end through her athleticism and length.  She has an extremely high ceiling and will be an incredible addition to our program with the opportunity to make an immediate impact."
 
In her lone season with the Buccaneers, Serrano made her presence known on the hardwood, enroute to being selected as a Third Team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American. She led Florida Southwestern averaging 19 points per game, starting in all 31 games across the season. She was proficient in her shot selection, averaging 41% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc. The guard was also second on the team from the charity stripe, compiling an 80.6% free throw percentage, sinking 100 free throws throughout the season. Serrano's work on the court earned the guard Citrus Conference Player of the Year.
 
Serrano contributed to a 25-6 overall record for the nationally ranked #12 Buccaneers last season, going 17-1 against conference opponents to earn the Citrus Conference championship. Florida Southwestern made another NJCAA National Tournament appearance, making it to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history.
 
Serrano became just the third member in program history to have reached 500 career points in a single season, and the second member of the program to have dawn the Florida Southwestern uniform to hit over 80 three-pointers, collecting 81 triples. The guard reach double figures in 28 games for the Bucs last season, 13 of those games Serrano contributed 20+ points. Her best game came on Jan. 15, when she netted 30 points to help the Bucs defeat #15 Palm Beach State in a 63-61 battle.
 
Serrano's quick hands shined, as she collected 75 steals throughout the season, including four games with 5+ steals. She led Florida Southwestern averaging 2.4 steals per game. Quick to crash the boards, Serrano averaged 4.5 rebounds a game, ranking fifth on the Bucs. She had nine games with 5+ rebounds, including a season-high nine boards against Hillsborough Community College on Dec. 18.
 
Prior to her time in the Sunshine State, Serrano made an impact on the high school level, competing for the Academy of Holy Angels out of Demarest, N.J. The Nanuet, N.Y. native was a four-time All-Conference and All-State pick. The guard eclipsed the 1,000 career-point mark midway through the 2023-24 season, finishing her senior year averaging 26 points and seven rebounds per game.
 
Serrano becomes the third student athlete to have joined the UIC women's basketball program, joining Amelia Strong and Jaya McClure.

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