April 24, 2015
THE FLATS — Georgia Tech women’s basketball head coach MaChelle Joseph announced Friday that Chelsea Guimaraes has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Yellow Jackets for the 2015-16 season.
“Chelsea is an impressive student-athlete,” Joseph said. “Her size and experience are going to be a welcome addition to our front court next season. Her international experiences will give her the opportunity to contribute early. She has the ability to score with her back to the basket to 15 feet. She has had impressive numbers in international competition at the European championships.”
Guimaraes join Martine Fortune, Dejoria Howard, Ciani Cryor and Elo Edeferioka as the incoming class in 2015. Fortune, Howard and Cryor were ranked as the #14 recruiting class in the nation by Blue Star Basketball. The All Star Girls Report tabbed the class as the 25th best while Prospect’s Nation ranked it at #26 in the country.
“Chelsea Guimaraes of Portugal will be a quality addition to Georgia Tech’s 2015 class,” Keil Moore of Prospects Nation said. “She has shown expansive growth in her game over the last calendar year. At 6’3″ she can probably play at the four or five for the Yellow Jackets. She has good mobility and a developing offensive game that allows her to be effective playing with her back to the basket or attacking the rim. When facing the basket, Guimaraes has the ability to make an open 15-foot jumper and could be a threat diving off a ball screen or popping to space the floor. She is a kid who can score and finish around the rim on the offensive side of the ball while also being able to defend and use her mobility to guard at times on the perimeter.”
“She’s a remarkable talent,” Daniel Prince of Passion Hoops International said. “Her size and strength will present great problems for opponents. Chelsea is a 4.3 out of 5 star recruit. I love her hands and her ability to move without the ball. She has tremendous upside. Look for her to sync fast and quick in an already talented Georgia Tech team.”
Chelsea Guimaraes: Post, 6’3″, Almada, Portugal
Guimaraes heads to the Flats from Almada, Portugal with a lot of international experience, having represented Portugal in both the 2013 and 2014 U18 European Championships. Guaimaraes checks in as the #12 international ranked player by ProspectsNation.com in the class of 2015. ProspectsNation.com gives her a four star rating among forwards.
Guimaraes played for Portugal, helping her team to a ninth place in the U18 European Championship in Matosinhos, Portugal this past July. During the tournament, Guimaraes averaged 6.4 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. She also averaged 0.8 assists per game, 0.8 blocks per game and 0.7 steals per game in nine games played. Guimaraes shot an impressive 91.7 percent from the foul line (22-for-24) during the tournament. In a loss to Spain, Guimaraes played a tournament-high 32 minutes, recording a double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
That same summer, Guimaraes traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria to play for the U20 Portugal team in the Division B European Championship. During nine appearances, Guimaraes averaged 6.8 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game and 1.0 assists per game as the Portugal took third in the tournament.
The Almada, Portugal native also played in the 2013 U18 European Championship with her home country. Guimaraes averaged 4.9 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and 1.0 assists per game as Portugal took ninth place. Also in 2013, Guimaraes competed with the U16 national team in the Division B European Championship where her team finished as runners up in Matosinhos, Portugal. She averaged 14.0 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game during that tournament.
Guimaraes also competed for Portugal in 2012 in both the Division B U18 European Championship and the Division B U16 European Championship.
Guimaraes attended Escola Secundária Professor José Augusto Lucas (Linda-a-Velha) and played basketball for three seasons for Alges e Dafundo. During the 2012-13 season , Alges won the Regional U16 Title and both the U16 and U19 National Titles. In 2013-14, Alges was the Regional U19 champion and the U19 National Champions. Last season, Agles captured the 2014-15 U19 Regional Title. Guimaraes was named the MVP center during both the 2012-13 U16 Regional and National games and during the 2013-14 U19 Regional National games.
Guimaraes was born on April 11, 1997 and is the daughter of Emanuel Guimaraes and Carla Carvalho. Her full name is Chelsea Mauke de Carvalh Tibeiro Guimaraes. She chose to attend Georgia Tech because of the academics, Georgia Tech’s ranking in the United States and of course, the basketball team. Guimaraes intends on majoring in architecture. In her free time, Guimaraes enjoys going to the movies, drawing, reading or listening to music.
–TogetherWeSwarm–
