UNM WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Lobos sign Mila Reynolds as transfer portal closes
New head coach Eagan has 13 players signed
Transfer portal closed, roster filling up fast.
That's the status update for the University of New Mexico women's basketball team and new coach Amy Eagan.
By Thursday, UNM had announced two new players, bringing the known Lobos roster to 13 for 2026-27. There are more to come, as Eagan plans to carry 15 players (the NCAA limit).
鈥淚f you had told me when the portal opened (April 6) that we could be done by the end of this week, I'd have said, 鈥榥o way.鈥� We鈥檙e all pretty happy right now,鈥� Eagan said.
The new players are 6-foot-3 post Mila Reynolds and 6-2 forward Brynn Eshoo.
Reynolds brings the size and experience Eagan was looking for to bolster what figures to be a relatively young UNM team. Reynolds will be a senior with three previous stops on her r茅sum茅, having played one season apiece at Maryland, Purdue and UT Arlington. She sat out the 2024-25 season at Purdue due to injury.
Reynolds averaged 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 32 games (18 starts) last season for UTA, where she played alongside sisters Amiyah and Kira Reynolds. Mila came out of Indiana's South Bend Washington High School as a 4.5-star recruit ranked at No. 32 nationally by Prep Girls Hoops and No. 6 by ESPN Hoopgurlz.
鈥淢ila鈥檚 as healthy as she鈥檚 been in her career and she鈥檚 hungry,鈥� Eagan said. 鈥淪he came here on a visit and committed right away. We see her as an athletic 5 who鈥檚 a good fit for our system.鈥�
Eshoo spent the past two seasons at Tulsa, though she played in only four games, averaging 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds off the bench. She suffered a season-ending injury in 2024-25 and appeared in only two games as a redshirt freshman last season.
An Inverness, Illinois native, Echoo was an All-State player as a senior at William Fremd High School.
Eagan talked to the Journal on Wednesday, before Eshoo鈥檚 commitment to the Lobos was announced.
Reynolds and Eshoo join 6-2 Gracie Kelsey on the front line of a UNM roster that is currently heavy at the guard positions. For the time being, the Lobos have four rising seniors, five sophomores and four freshmen.
Eagan likes what she sees.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of talent,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e look for kids who are kind of interchangeable and can do a lot of things. Athleticism and versatility give you options. It鈥檚 obviously going to take time for us to learn about each other and start putting things together, but looking at our roster right now makes me smile. I feel good about it.鈥�
WHO'S HERE? Among the 13 announced players, UNM has four returning Lobos in rising senior Drew Jordon, sophomores Laila Abdurraqib and Kaia Foster and freshman Quintilla Hidalgo, who joined the team at last season鈥檚 semester break but has not appeared in a game.
Eagan and her staff also retained incoming freshman guard Maya Thompson, who committed to previous UNM coach Mike Bradbury. High school senior post Elizabeth Johnson, who also committed to New Mexico in November, is not expected to join the Lobos, Eagan said.
Eagan also also added three players and two recruits from her previous program, Lindenwood. They are Kelsey, rising senior Gracy Wernli, sophomore Valerie Norwood and incoming freshmen Savannah Stricker and Kate Wernli (Gracy's younger sister).
Other newcomers to the program are Reynolds and rising sophomore Keiara Curtis, who played for Hawaii last season.
WHO'S NOT? Seven of last season鈥檚 UNM players ended up entering the transfer portal, four of them starters. As of Wednesday, rising juniors Joana Magalhaes and Emma Najjuma committed to Santa Clara and sophomore Tyler Jones committed to UT Martin. According to on3.com, seniors Destinee Hooks, Jessie Joaquim and junior Nayli Padilla had not committed. Senior Cacia Antonio was a late portal entry though her eligibility for next season is in doubt.
Sophomore post Leonor Peixinho did not enter the portal but remained unaccounted for Wednesday.
NEW ASSISTANT: Thursday, UNM announced the hiring of Patrick Harrison as an assistant coach. Noted for his recruiting success, Harrison has amassed 15 years of college coaching experience at numerous schools, including Kansas City (2018-22), New Mexico State (2022-23), Stephen F. Austin (2023-24) and Wichita State (2024-26).
MAKING HER PITCHES: Eagan fired ceremonial first pitches at Tuesday鈥檚 UNM softball and baseball home games. One pitch was better than the other, she said.
鈥淚 threw a strike at softball,鈥� Eagan said with laugh. 鈥淏aseball definitely was not. I played softball growing up 鈥� shortstop but I pitched a little bit 鈥� so I was okay pitching underhand. I threw overhand at baseball and, well, yeah. But I didn't have time to warm up either.鈥�
Editor鈥檚 note: This story was updated Thursday to include Brynn Eshoo鈥檚 commitment and the hiring of assistant coach Patrick Harrison.
