RUSTAVI, Georgia (May 16, 2020) – Lia Mikiashvili, who has played for national basketball teams in her native country since 2017, has signed a letter of intent to play collegiately at Oklahoma Christian, OC coach Stephanie Findley said Saturday.

Mikiashvili, a 6-foot-3 center, first represented Georgia in 2017, when she played on an under-16 squad that played in the Women's European Championship. She served as the Georgian under-18 team captain in 2019, leading her team to the third-place divisional finish in the Women's European Championship, and was the under-19 team captain this year.

She helped BC Dinamo Tbilisi to the Georgian women's league title during the 2018-19 season.

"Lia is a center who will strengthen our physical presence inside with the loss of Carolyne Lawley to graduation," Findley said. "She is a physical and aggressive player who defends the paint well. She's a very strong rebounder with a strong work ethic and great attitude.  She has good court vision and awareness to find the open cutters when she has the ball in the post."

She is the seventh player to sign with OC for the 2020-21 season. She joins forwards Atlanta Hopgood of Oklahoma City, Kana Rackley of Mounds, Okla., and Antonia Kovacevic of Split, Croatia, and Frank Phillips (Texas) College and guards Brooklin Bain of Comanche, Okla., Kayton Kite of Norman, Okla., and Samantha Good of Ryan, Okla.