SAN DIEGO – The San Diego women's basketball program has added another talented international player to the incoming freshman class, welcoming Malia Tharpe to the program.
 
A native of Cottesloe, Australia, in the suburbs of Perth, Thorpe joins the Toreros as a freshman for the 2023-24 season. Thorpe is a 5'10" swing player, with experience as a guard and small forward.
 
Tharpe played her club basketball most recently with the NBL1 West team Perry Lakes Hawks, where she was the Division I Most Valuable Player. Tharpe also trained with Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) side Perth Lynx, which is in the top league in Australian basketball.
 
In her prep career, Tharpe attended Shenton College and was the Shenton College Sportsperson of the Year in 2022, helping to win three high school championships, as well as several MVP honors. Tharpe was also an active member of the Western Australia U20 and U18 State Teams, finishing fourth in 2023 with the U20 side.
 
Tharpe joins fellow incoming freshmen Lauren McCall and Mila Wawszkowicz, as well as incoming transfers Maddie Vejsicky (Virginia Tech) and Dylan Horton (Florida A&M) as newcomers for the 2023-24 season. Tharpe and Wawszkowicz join a long line of Australian talent to play at San Diego, with the last being Steph Gorman who graduated following the 2021-22 season.
 
To stay up to date with Toreros women's basketball, follow the team on Instagram & Twitter by searching "USDwbb".