Cleveland State has received a transfer commitment from La Salle guard Ayisse Magassa, a rising senior, according to On3’s Talia Goodman.
The French national was the Explorers’ only every-game starter this past season, and contributed 6.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. La Salle was just 10-23 overall, but one of the victories came against a Horizon League foe, Northern Kentucky, at a holiday season MTE in San Diego.
Though listed as a guard, the Explorers didn’t roster a classic center this past season and, partly as a result, played a relatively positionless style. Accordingly, the 6-1 Magassa ended up all over the floor, but found a lot of comfort working from the low block. Part of that involved her rebounding ability; Magassa’s 2.1 offensive boards per game ranked among the top ten percent of all players nationally.
She also has an effective mid-range game, whether as a shooter or by putting the ball on the floor. Her effectiveness wanes beyond that though, as evidenced by her 6-for-31 line on three-point attempts.
Defensively, Magassa is extremely disruptive on the perimeter, and also runs the floor well, characteristics that undoubtedly appealed to Chris Kielsmeier and the Vikings’ staff.
Prior to her season at La Salle, Magassa spent two years in the juco ranks, leading the Clarendon College Bulldogs in both scoring (14.3) and rebounding (8.0) during a 21-11 season in 2023-24. As a freshman, she was a role player on an NJCAA Division I national championship squad at Northwest Florida State College.
Those two juco seasons make figuring out Magassa’s precise eligibility situation difficult, thanks to ongoing litigation. She’s entering her fourth year of post-secondary competition, her final campaign according to traditional standards. However, it’s possible that the lawsuit brought by former Vanderbilt football player Diego Pavia (which is presently under appeal) results in Magassa retaining three full years of eligibility, including 2025-26.
That becomes relevant when considering that, so far, Cleveland State’s transfer commit list has been dominated by players entering their final season, including Ella Van Weelden, Laurel Rockwood, and Izabella Zingaro. Given that key returner Colbi Maples also falls into that category, it seems as if the Vikings are simply doing what they can to put together a quality roster for the coming season after losing nine players to the transfer portal. It’s a strategy that also buys time to execute a less hurried rebuild in 2026 and beyond.
Regardless, with Magassa, Van Weelden, Rockwood, Zingaro, and Maples on board, along with additional holdovers Macey Fegan and Sarah Hurley, as well as incoming freshman Hanna Medina Kajevic, CSU’s roster is inching back towards completion.
