Carbondale Reporter

On Wednesday, head coach Kelly Bond-White of the Southern Illinois University women's basketball team announced the signing of Hiba Malkawi, a guard from Plano, Texas. Malkawi will join SIU from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, standing at 5-foot-7 as she transitions to the new team.

"Hiba has an electric personality both on and off the court," said Bond-White. "She's a dynamic player with a great work ethic, and we're looking forward to seeing the spark she can provide for us."

During her time at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Malkawi played two seasons, participating in a total of 40 games. In the 2024-25 season, she played and started all 31 games, averaging 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Malkawi also led her team, the Lady Norse, to the NJCAA Region II Championship in the spring, scoring an average of 13.3 points per game on 45% shooting over three tournament games.

"We're thrilled to welcome not just Hiba to the team, but her entire family," Bond-White said. "Coming from the Dallas area in Texas, they quickly fell in love with all southern Illinois and what the community had to offer. Constantly voicing their gratitude and watching their excitement as they immersed themselves was refreshing."

Before playing at Northeastern Oklahoma, Malkawi spent one season at Eastern Oklahoma State College in 2022-23. She was featured in 30 games there, making nine starts and averaging 6.6 points per game. Known for her quickness and versatility, Malkawi can play both point and shooting guard positions, excels in scoring off screens, and is effective in transition.

"She is one of the quickest coming off a screen and getting her hips to the rim," Bond-White said. "This quickness allows her to get into the paint to finish. A very unselfish player, she's equally excited to share the ball, and accepting the challenge of playing the way we want to defensively."

Malkawi plans to study sports administration upon her arrival in Carbondale.

For updates and news about Southern Illinois University Salukis, fans can follow the team on Twitter and Instagram at @SIU_WBasketball or on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. The Salukis Mobile App is also available on the App Store and Google Play Store.