Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — June 2017
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Paula Valiño Ramos has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of Iowa, head coach Lisa Bluder announced Tuesday.
“We are excited to have Paula join our team in August,” said Bluder. “Paula comes from Spain and will bring us depth in the post position. She is an exceptional student as well. She will thrive in the classroom setting.”
Valiño Ramos, a 6-3 forward/center, has experience at the high school, regional, and national level. The Ourense, Spain, native attended IES Otero Pedrayo High School. As a freshman in 2013-14, Valiño Ramos averaged 15.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks to lead her team to a sixth-place finish at the Spanish National U15 Club Championships. She also helped the Galicia Regional Team to a third-place finish at the Spanish U15 National Championship, before guiding the Spanish National Team to a Friendly U15 International Championship.
As a sophomore, Valiño Ramos served as a co-captain on a U16 Spanish National Team that finished fourth at the FIBA European Championship. She also averaged 11.2 points, 12 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks to guide the Galicia Regional Team to a fifth-place finish at the Spanish U16 National Championship.
Valiño Ramos competed for Bovina High School in Bovina, Texas, as a junior exchange student in 2015-16. The team co-captain was named MVP of the Year and earned Academic All-District accolades.
As a senior, Valiño Ramos averaged 19.7 points and 13.3 rebounds to guide Ensino to a sixth-place finish at the Spanish National U18 Club Championship.
Valiño Ramos also excels in the classroom. She graduated with Special Honors from IES Otero Pedrayo and was selected for Regional Extraordinary Prize Examinations. She comes from an athletic family. Her father, Liru, played professional basketball with CB Breogan (Lugo Spain, 1984-85) and Caja Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain, 1985-86).
The Hawkeyes return four starters, including Megan Gustafson, Tania Davis, Kathleen Doyle, and Makenzie Meyer, and nine letterwinners for the 2017-18 season.
