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Tarleton State University Athletics

StephanySigned

Women's Basketball Grant Cohen

Tarleton State Women’s Basketball signs NJCAA National Champion Stephany Gonçalves

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – A national champion player joins three-time national champion coach Bill Brock and Tarleton State Women's Basketball for 2026-27, with former Eastern Arizona guard Stephany Gonçalves signing with the Texans. 

Gonçalves guided Eastern Arizona to its first NJCAA Division I National Championship earlier this month. The incoming junior guard led the 33-2 Gila Monsters in assists with 134 (3.8 assists per game) and scored 220 points (6.3 points per game). 

"We are very excited to add Steph to our Texan Family," Brock said. "She was a starter on the ultra-talented Eastern Arizona team that recently won the 2026 NJCAA Division I National Championship. Her experience and skill set will help us replace three senior perimeter players that graduated from this year's squad. 

"Our fans will really enjoy watching Steph's style of play and excitement she brings to the court. We can't wait for her to arrive on campus and begin summer workouts." 

After Eastern Arizona lost in overtime in its 2025-26 season opener, Gonçalves orchestrated a historic run for the school. Eastern Arizona went on to win 29 straight games and earned a No. 2 overall seed in the NJCAA Tournament. The Gila Monsters won their four games in the national tournament by an average of 16.7 points per game en route to their first-ever national championship

Gonçalves led Eastern Arizona in the NJCAA National Championship game against New Mexico Junior College, grabbing a team-high nine rebounds and dished a game-high five assists. She scored in double figures eight times during Eastern Arizona's title run and led the team in assists in 17 games. Gonçalves posted career-bests against Central Arizona College, grabbing 11 rebounds on Jan. 31 and dishing out 10 assists on Feb. 18. 

A native of Brazil, Gonçalves has also competed for her country's national team. After a bronze medal finish in the 2018 South American U15 Women's Championship, Gonçalves lifted her country to first place shortly after. Brazil won the gold medal with Gonçalves at the 2022 South American U18 Women's Championship. 

In addition to helping Brazil win medals in 5-on-5 competition, Gonçalves helped her country in 3-on-3 games. The Colégio Singular graduate had a pair of first-place finishes in 3-on-3 competition in 2025. Gonçalves anchored her team to win the Centro Olímpico and Copa Integración tournaments last year. 

Tarleton State has picked up over 1,000 wins as a senior college, with the Texans obtaining the program's 1,000th win on Jan. 31 earlier this year. The Texans made their second straight WAC Semifinal after an upset win over Utah Valley. Tarleton State returns four letterwinners from the previous season, including starting guard Caroline Lyles.
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Players Mentioned

Caroline Lyles

#30 Caroline Lyles

G
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Caroline Lyles

#30 Caroline Lyles

6' 0"
Junior
G