Cal Women’s Basketball adds 2 players for 2026-2027 season

Charmin Smith adds some size to the front court.

Cal Women’s Basketball HC Charmin Smith added some size to the front court to replace the departure of Sakima Walker. Junior Albina Syla joins the Bears from Rhode Island via the portal and Jovana Jevtovic comes in as a freshman from Ivanjica, Serbia.

Albina Syla played in all 33 games for Rhode Island this past season, and was a key part of their run to their first ever A-10 Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament ticket. The 6-foot-5 center is originally from Vantaa, Finland, and averaged 13.7 points and 10 rebounds during the A-10 Tournament run, where she was named the tournament’s most Outstanding Player.

"I'm excited to bring someone with the size, length and skillset that Albina has to Cal," [Cal HC Charmin] Smith said. "She became a dominant force for her team last year in just her sophomore season and showed a lot of touch around the rim and a relentless effort to rebound the ball. I can't wait to see her grow even further and make an impact here in Berkeley."

Jovana Jevtovic joins the Bears as a freshman from Sopron Basket, a pro team, in Sopron, Hungary. Jevtovic, listed at 6-foot-4, led the Serbian U-20 team in the 2025 Eurobasket to their first championship game in Division B. She helped them to promotion to Division A, and was namsd the MVP of the tournament with averages of 16.3 points, 10 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

“Even though she is a freshman, Jovana is coming to Cal with a ton of experience playing against pro-level competition,” [Cal HC Charmin] Smith said. “Playing in professional women’s leagues in Europe these last few years has prepared her for the physicality of DI women’s basketball and I expect her to be an important piece of what we’re trying to accomplish here.”

Welcome to Berkeley, Jovana and Albina!