Northwest Notes April 9, 2025

Pair of former USF players among three to transfer to Idaho women's basketball team

MOSCOW — Debora dos Santos, a first team All-West Coast Conference selection in the 2023-24 season at the University of San Francisco, has signed with Idaho, Vandal women's basketball coach Arthur Moreira announced.

Also, her former USF teammate, 6-5 post Lorena Barbosa, has also signed with Idaho, Moreira said.

In addition, guard Niveya Henley, who spent the past four seasons at Furman, is headed to Moscow.

Dos Santos spent the past three seasons at USF. In 2023-24, she played 30 games and averaged 15.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. 

In the 14 games she played this past season, the grad student out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil scored 12.9 points per game and grabbed 7.7 rebounds per game. During her three seasons in the Bay Area, dos Santos also shot 52.6% from the field.

In her three seasons with the Dons, dos Santos totaled 23 double-doubles. In the 2023-24 season, she had a nine-game stretch where she recorded double-doubles in eight contests and was a rebound away from notching a ninth double-double. As a Don, the post player recorded career highs of 29 points (at Saint Mary’s) and 18 rebounds (at Loyola Marymount).

Prior to her time in San Francisco, dos Santos spent a year at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. She put up 13.6 points and 13 rebounds per game and was named third team All-American, conference Freshman of the Year and the WJAC MVP. Dos Santos spent her prep years at Wasatch Academy in Utah where she starred in basketball and volleyball.

Barbosa, from Itatiba, Brazil., played four seasons at USF.

Last season she appeared in 11 games. Against Northern Arizona, Barbosa tallied a career-high 16 points in just 19 minutes on 4-of-6 shooting, along with four rebounds and three steals.

With the signings of Barbosa and dos Santos, the Vandals now have three players from Brazil on the roster for next season.

Henley’s four-year career at Furman in Greenville, S.C. included being named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman team in 2021-22, selected to the All-SoCon Third Team in 2023-24, and culminated last season. The 6-foot guard’s 2024-25 season with the Paladins resulted in career highs in points per game (11.7), 3-point shooting (35.8%), assists per game (1.7), and she chipped in 3.3 rebounds per outing, as well.

During her all-conference year in 2023-24, Henley averaged 10.8 points and a career-high 4.1 rebounds per game.

Henley, originally from Seattle, spent her prep years at national powerhouse Monteverde Academy in Orlando, Fla.

Henley recorded career highs of 24 points (most recently against Erskine on Nov. 7, 2024) and nine rebounds (most recently against UNC-Asheville on Dec. 11, 2024) during her time with the Paladins.