Clemson Women’s Basketball Signs Star Cal Baptist Transfer

The Clemson Tigers women’s basketball team recently announced the signing of transfer forward Kinsley Barrington.

The signing is the most recent addition to the roster of first-year coach Shawn Poppie, who took over for Amanda Butler in the offseason.

Barrington, a 6-footer, has four years of college experience in the WAC — two years with Southern Utah and two years with Cal Baptist. As a graduate transfer the Vineyard, Utah, native has one season of eligibility remaining.

Last season with Cal Baptist was the best of her career, as she averaged 11 points, 5.0 points and 1.9 assists per game on 44% shooting. She helped the Lancers win both the WAC regular-season and tournament titles, allowing them to reach the NCAA Tournament.

In the Lancers’ only NCAA game, they lost to UCLA, with Barrington scoring 18 points. She also had three rebounds three steals and one assist.

Clemson is getting a player that could impact their rotation immediately. Poppie said in the release announcing her signing that Barrington was “the final puzzle piece.”

“As a true stretch forward who plays with toughness, she checked off all of the boxes,” he said. “She has the ability to shoot the three, post up against mismatches, and plays with great tenacity.”

Clemson now has 17 players on its roster for next season. Poppie has crafted a roster that now includes nine transfers, with Barrington’s signing, three of which followed Poppie from Chattanooga, his last head-coaching stop. He also managed to convince two of last year’s Tigers to withdraw from the transfer portal after Butler was let go.

Poppie is making his second head-coaching stop. The former Virginia Tech assistant, who worked under Kenny Brooks (now at Kentucky), took over the Mocs for the 2022-23 season and quickly made them winners.

He led Chattanooga to two Southern Conference Tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances before he was hired to replace Butler.

Clemson released Butler from her contract after she finished 81-106 in her six seasons leading the Tigers. She led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in her first season in 2018-19 with a 20-13 record. The Tigers won a first-round game.

But Clemson never returned. The Tigers reached the WNIT twice but never got back to March Madness.

The program was a consistent NCAA Tournament participant under Jim Davis, who took over the program in 1987-88 and 14 NCAA Tournament appearances in 18 seasons, including four Sweet 16 bids and an Elite Eight run in 1991.

Since Davis’ time with the Tigers, the program has made just one NCAA Tournament appearance.