LAS PALMAS, Spain – Illinois State women's basketball alum, Juliunn "JuJu" Redmond, has signed a professional contract with Spar Gran Canaria, which competes in Spain's top professional league.
"I'm very excited to play on one of the top teams in Spain as a rookie," Redmond said. "This is a dream come true. As a young teen my dream was to go to Spain to play professional basketball and now that my dreams are coming true the sky is the limit. This is just the beginning of my journey and it's only up from here. I want to thank my family all the coaches who have coached me, my teammates and all my fans. Without you guys, I don't think this dream would be possible."
Spar Gran Canaria is located on the Canary Islands which is off the northwest coast of Africa and will compete as a Euro Cup team.
"I could not be prouder of JuJu," head coach Kristen Gillespie said. "She came to Illinois State with very specific goals, and this was the last one on her list. She left a lasting mark on our program, and I know her best basketball is still ahead of her."
Redmond capped off her Illinois State career, by leading the 'Birds to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008, earning numerous individual accolades in the process. She was named the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player following the Redbirds' 2022 MVC Tournament Championship. During her three-year career, Redmond was a two-time All-MVC First Team selection and was selected as the 2020 MVC Newcomer of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year. Additionally, Redmond was a three-time Valley Player of the Week, a three-time MVC Newcomer of the Week, a 2020 All-MVC Honorable Mention selection and a member of the 2022 MVC All-Tournament Team.
Redmond finished her career ranked 19th all-time in scoring at ISU with 1,228 points, becoming one of only four Redbirds to score 1,200 points in three seasons. Her 571 points during the 2021-22 campaign is the fifth-most in school history. Redmond was the 29th member of Illinois State's 1,000-point club and the first student-athlete to hit the milestone in the Kristen Gillespie era.
The Chicago, Illinois, native, finished first in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring, averaging 17.8 points per game, becoming the fourth Redbird to lead the league in scoring and the first since MVC Hall of Famer Kristi Cirone did so in 2009.
Redmond becomes the 18th women's basketball player in Illinois State history to play professionally.
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