Former Ankeny Centennial basketball star Maggie Phipps is transferring from Drake to Colorado Christian University.
Phipps, a sophomore guard, said she decided to enter the transfer portal after thinking about it for several months.
“It was a very tough decision that I have been praying about since last February,” said Phipps. “I know many people may believe that I am transferring for just more playing time, but that is not the main reason.”
Phipps played in 16 games for the Bulldogs a year ago, averaging 2.1 points in 5.6 minutes a game. In limited action, she shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range–making 10-of-23 attempts from behind the arc.
Phipps said Colorado Christian was the first school to contact her.
“Before this all happened, I really hadn’t even heard of Colorado Christian except for knowing that one of my friends will be playing there next year,” she said. “However, once I got into the portal, coach (Diane) Thompson was the first one to call me. From that conversation on, I knew CCU was somewhere special and that the Lord was using this coach to create a special team. While I talked to many schools, something just kept taking my mind back to CCU. Then when I went on my visit out there, I fell in love with the environment and the entire team, which led me to commit while I was out there.”
Phipps starred at North Polk before transferring to Centennial for her senior season. She averaged 17.3 points per game and led the Jaguars to the Class 5A semifinals at the 2021 state tournament, earning all-state honors.