CHICAGO -- The UIC women's basketball team acquired it's fourth transfer ahead of the 2025-26 season as head coach Ashleen Bracey announced that Jessica Carrothers will be joining the Flames with one year of eligibility left after making previous stops at Butler (2022-23) and IU Northwest (2023-2025).

"We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to our Flames family," Bracey said. "Jessica is a winner, the ultimate competitor and plays the game with a fearless mentality. She is an incredible addition to our program and will help make an immediate impact on the court through her leadership and experience. She was the leading scorer across all divisions in the nation, which is an incredible accomplishment in itself. What is even more special is how she efficiently shot over 50 % from the field, collecting over 100 assists. Jessica aligns with the values, standards and the culture of this program. She aligns the values, standards and the culture of this, committed to helping elevate Flames women's basketball to new heights."

The guard is coming off a strong junior year this past season with the RedHawks, leading all of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in scoring, with 31.4 points per game. Carrothers also led the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) in free throw percentage (89.3%) and was second in field goal percentage (57.2%).

She finished her tenure with IU Northwest being named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2025 NAIA Player of the Year and a member of the NAIA First Team All-American. Carrothers helped lead the RedHawks to a 23-8 overall record, making it to the 2025 CCAC Tournament Semi Finals and an appearance in the 2025 NAIA Tournament.

During her time in Gary, Ind. Carrothers started and play in all 50 games over the two seasons in a RedHawks uniform. Scoring in double figures in every game she competed in, Carrothers reached 30+ points across 21 games, 40+ points in six games, and even scored a collegiate-high 51 points in the RedHawks 85-67 win over St. Ambrose (Ia.) on Feb. 17, 2024.

Carrothers averaged 6.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals per game during her two seasons at IU Northwest. The guard collected seven double doubles during her time with the RedHawks, with her lone triple double came in IU Northwest's 74-63 victory over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on Dec. 1, 2024. Carrothers scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and collected 10 assists in the win.
In her lone season with Butler, Carrothers earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, playing in 25 games and making 19 starts during the 2022-23 season. She averaged 7.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 21.1 minutes per game during her time as a Bulldog, scoring in double figures in seven games. Carrothers was ranked 12^th in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (46.9%), third on the team in free throw percentage (81.3%) and tied for fourth on the team in three-point percentage (40.0%). Her best game with the Bulldogs was when she scored 18 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, sinking three triples against Illinois on Dec. 11, 2022.

Carrothers built an impressive resume playing for her hometown high school in Crown Point (2018-22), Ind. She competed on the varsity level all four years, compiling a 103-7 (42-0 at home) record with the Bulldogs. The guard was the runner-up for the 2022 Indiana Miss Basketball, named the Gatorade Indiana State Basketball Player of the Year in 2021 and led Crown Point to an Indiana High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) 4A State Championship title during her junior year. She finished her career with 2,335 points, ranking 16^th in state history. She also grabbed 545 rebounds, collected 296 assists and swiped 468 career steals, which ranks her second in school history.

Carrothers is the fourth student-athlete to join the UIC women's basketball team, joining Amelia Strong, Jaya McClure and Samantha Serrano.
 
 For more information on UIC women's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_WBB and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_wbb and @uicflames).
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