AUBURN, Ala. – Another all-conference performer will join Auburn women's basketball for 2024-25 as Texas transfer DeYona Gaston has signed with the Tigers, head coach Johnnie Harris announced Monday.
Gaston, a graduate transfer from Pearland, Texas, was named the Big 12 Sixth Woman of the Year in 2024 and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2023. She averaged 8.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season with a season-high of 21 points, helping lead Texas to a 33-5 record, a Big 12 Tournament title, and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"DeYona is a versatile athletic scorer with guard skills," Harris said. "She can catch and shoot or attack off the bounce. She has great touch around the rim and defensively is a natural fit in our system. She is a monster rebounder, shot blocker and capable of defending multiple positions. She is another piece of the puzzle that the Auburn Family will embrace."
In 106 career games at Texas, Gaston averaged 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. During her All-Big 12 season of 2022-23, she was second on the Longhorns in scoring with 12.1 points per game and led the team with 5.8 rebounds per contest.
"I picked Auburn because of the family atmosphere that permeates the team and the city as a whole, in addition to the coaching staff's ability to help me grow and reach my goals," Gaston said. "I wanted to be surrounded by winners, and Auburn has all of that—players, coaches, and staff, Auburn provides me with all I require to flourish and reach my full potential."
Gaston will play her final collegiate season with Harris, who initially recruited her to Mississippi State and then coached her as a freshman at Texas in 2020-21. Among other schools, Gaston considered Baylor as a potential transfer destination before signing with the Tigers.
Gaston is the fourth newcomer for the 2024-25 Tigers, joining Arkansas transfer Taliah Scott and incoming freshmen Syriah Daniels and Jordan Hunter.