Former Rutgers Women's Basketball forward Chyna Cornwell signs with Greek professional team
Following five standout years at Rutgers, Chyna Cornwell is headed to the professional ranks.
The former Scarlet Knights forward signed with Greek club Proteas Voulas, the team announced on Monday. Based in Voula, a suburb of Athens, the team plays in the Greek Women’s League, the top league in the country.
“I’m truly honored to be welcomed into this team,” Cornwell said in a team statement. “I’m ready to work hard, give my absolute best, and do whatever it takes to contribute to our success. I have a deep passion for the game and tremendous respect for the coaches and staff. I can’t wait to get on the court, build strong chemistry with my teammates, and chase something special this season. Let’s get to work!”
In five years as a Scarlet Knight, Cornwell averaged 6.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, appearing in 130 career games.
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Originally hailing from North Carolina, Cornwell joined the program from Newton-Conover High School in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. By her fifth and final season, she was the only player on the roster from Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer’s final season at the helm.
Cornwell expanded her role by her junior season, the first for current head coach Coquese Washington. After averaging one and a half points and rebounds per game over her first two seasons, Cornwell broke onto the scene, nearly averaging a double-double with 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
She earned an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention from the media, and was also named Rutgers’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award nominee. Her 274 rebounds ranked third in the conference, and she tied for the Big Ten offensive rebounding title with 105 total. She notched nine double-doubles during Big Ten play and set three of the top ten rebounding performances of the season with games of 17 (February 15th against Northwestern), 16 (March 1st against the Wildcats in the Big Ten Tournament), and 16 (November 27th against Cornell) rebounds.
As a senior, Cornwell’s impact remained much the same, while also playing alongside Destiny Adams in the Scarlet Knights’ frontcourt. Cornwell averaged 7.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, and her 80 offensive rebounds ranked fourth in the Big Ten.
Both Cornwell and Awa Sidibe opted to use their COVID-19 granted years of eligibility as graduate students in the 2024-25 season. Cornwell once again was solid on the boards, in a different role as the first player off the bench. She averaged 6.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, reaching double-digit rebounds in 10 games. Her 3.9 offensive rebounds per game ranked third in the Big Ten for yet another finish near the top in rebounding.
She signed with Flash Agency following her collegiate career, and now heads overseas for her first professional opportunity.
In Greece, Cornwell joins a Proteas Voulas squad that just finished off a solid season in the Greek Women’s League, finishing fifth in the regular season at an 11-9 mark. They made it to the league cup semifinals before falling to eventual champion Olympiacos Piraeus, who won their ninth championship in ten years.
On the court, Proteas Voulas was led by forwards Anisha George and Dre’Una Edwards, two former standouts in the United States. George was an All-Conference USA Defensive Teamer at North Texas, while Edwards made stops at Utah, Kentucky, and Baylor, averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game in her collegiate career.
George and Edwards were the two double-digit scorers per game on the team with 16.7 and 13.2 points per game respectively, and also combined to average 16 rebounds per game. Former St. John’s and Pittsburgh star Jayla Everett was the third-leading scorer with 9.6 points per game at guard. Greece natives Lamprini Polymeni, Olympia Sakellariou, and Christina Anastasopoulou rounded out the lineup as the team’s top contributors.
This upcoming season, Cornwell will look to help Proteas Voulas continue its solid stretch of play, bolstering an already-strong frontcourt with her tenacity at the rim and rebounding ability, starting in October when the league tips off for the 2025-26 season.
