Women's Basketball Adds A Pair In 2019 Class

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San José State women's basketball has signed Tyra Whitehead and Irene Chukwudi as part of their 2019-20 signing class. Head coach Jamie Craighead made the announcement.
 
"I'm excited to have Tyra and Irene join the program," Craighead said. "Tyra has great experience. She is strong and physical and will be able to score in multiple ways in the paint. Irene is very long and athletic with a great motor. Both of these young ladies add size and depth to our team, and I feel that both can make a big impact for us next season."


 
Whitehead, a 6-foot-3 forward, joins the Spartans out of Richmond, Virginia, where she was a three-time All-State selection out of Cosby High School before playing two seasons at Wake Forest. She played 59 career games in her freshman and sophomore seasons as a Demon Deacon and made seven starts.
 
Whitehead's best collegiate games came as a sophomore in 2018. She scored a
career-best 23 points against Texas State and posted two double-doubles (12 points, 12 rebounds vs. Seton Hall; 18 points, 12 rebounds vs. Appalachian State). She finished her career averaging 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
 
At the high school level, Whitehead excelled at Cosby as she helped lead the team to three-straight 6A State Championships from her sophomore to senior seasons. She was named a First Team VSHL All-State honoree in 2016 as well as a Richmond Times-Dispatch All-Metro first team member.


 
Chukwudi joins the program from Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, as a two-year starter for the Cougars. The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 7.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season and posted 12 double-figure scoring efforts. Her season high came against Cowley Community College in the second to last game of the year as she pulled down 15 boards and put up 16 points in a 81-75 win.
 
Chukwudi, who was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, finished her junior college career making 49 starts and 56 appearances. She averaged 5.8 points and 5.7 points per game in her two seasons.
 
Both Whitehead and Chukwudi will have two years to play two at San Jose State. They are joined in the 2019-20 class by Kalina Obrey and Shaila Mays, who both signed with the Spartans last November.