Cal Signs Karisma Ortiz

BERKELEY – The California women's basketball team has added 6-foot guard Karisma Ortiz to the roster, a graduate transfer from the University of Texas.
 
"With her size, length and skill set, Karisma brings versatility on both ends of the floor," Cal head coach Charmin Smith said. "She possesses the character and competitive spirit that we value here at Cal. Karisma will have a positive impact on and off the court. I'm excited to welcome her into our Cal women's basketball circle."
 
Ortiz returns home to the Bay Area as the San Jose native played one season with the Longhorns, competing in 27 games with 15 starts last season. Overall, she posted a 33.3 field goal percentage, drained 19 3-pointers and posted 45 assists (1.66 per game). She scored a career-high 15 points against Idaho on Dec. 9 and had three games with double-digit point totals.
 
In the classroom, Ortiz became a first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree this past semester. She also earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in both the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2020. She will graduate this spring with her undergraduate degree in sociology.
 
Before her time in Texas, Ortiz played her freshman season at Penn State, seeing time in 30 games with 24 starts. She averaged 25.4 minutes, 3.6 points and 4.2 assists for the Lady Lions and finished second on the team with 68 assists. She twice scored in double figures and led her team in assists in eight games.
 
Ortiz finished her prep career at Archbishop Mitty High School ranked as the No. 54 overall prospect by espnW, and the 14th-ranked player at her position. She was also a member of the Monarch's 1,000-point, 500-rebound and 500-assist club. Ortiz led her team to a No. 1 USA Today national ranking by the end of her senior season after her squad claimed both the Western Catholic Athletic League and Central Coast Section championships in 2018. She averaged 15 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists that year, meriting a second-team all-state selection.