Former UC Santa Cruz student-athlete standout Kaylee Murphy will continue her basketball career in Europe.
Murphy has signed for the CLIP team based in Porto, the biggest city in northern Portugal. She is believed to be the first player in program history to sign for a professional team and will be the first American to play for CLIP.
Last season, the club placed fourth out of 16 clubs in the Liga Feminina de Basquetebol's (LFP) second division.
 
"Kaylee has always been a trailblazer as she was the first women's Division III basketball player to sign an NIL deal, so this great achievement comes as no surprise," said head coach Monica Armstrong. "I can't think of a better player to represent us as the first professional athlete to come out of our program. "
 
Murphy finished her career this spring as a two-time WBCA All-American. She holds the school's career records for rebounds, assists, and double-doubles, as well as being fourth all-time in points and second in blocks.
 
"I'm so proud of Kaylee. Her hard work and dedication at UCSC has earned her this opportunity," said Todd Kent, who coached Murphy for four years. "I can not wait to watch her compete."
 
Murphy got on CLIP's radar after she put her highlights on a website that allowed teams worldwide to scout her. Eventually, the team contacted the company and Murphy to express interest in bringing her to the team.Murphy and the team kept in touch throughout the summer once she was on their final list, and she officially signed earlier this month.
 
"I was super lucky all their old games are on a platform, so I was able to watch their games," Murphy said. "I really liked the way they played, and they are playing in a competitive league. Their assistant and I talked, and we had similar ideas on how those games went. So that was really nice."
 
The season goes from October through May, and the league winners then get promoted to the highest league in Portugal.The team is affiliated with Porto's International school, so Murphy will also have the opportunity to teach and coach while she is playing.
 
"That was something that really intrigued me: the opportunity to coach and mentor younger players," she said. "That's really exciting to experience, especially in another country."
 
"Her team in Portugal signed a very high-IQ player with a diligent work ethic to improve her game," said Armstrong. "I'm extremely proud of her and this accomplishment, and I look forward to following her professional basketball career."