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Ericka Mattingly is a powerhouse point guard for the University of Texas at Arlington. The 5’8” Wichita, Kansas native started in 30 of the Mavericks 31 games last season, leading the team with 3.8 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game, and averaged 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
ESPN Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas Tweeted out today questioning if the “welfare” of Mattingly is being considered after her request to transfer back home was denied.
Ericka Mattingly wants to transfer close to home, UT Arlington won't release her. Wrong. Student-Athlete welfare? https://t.co/FKeSehiEp3
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) May 22, 2017
We don’t know much regarding the rising sophomore’s current predicament of why she wants to leave other than being closer to home. However, we do know that according to NCAA transfer rules, in many situations, the “first college can still control whether a player will play at another Division I or II school.”
It is no question this spring a lot of players have been seeking other opportunities by transferring. It is rare for a student-athlete to be denied their request to transfer -- but it has happened before.
Back in 2013, Sydney Moss wanted to leave Florida, however, then-coach Amanda Butler not only blocked her initial request to leave the Gators but gave her a release that did not allow her to attend any BCS university.
Hopefully, Mattingly will not have to go through a long process or get into an ongoing story such as Butler’s.
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