Arizona Marvelous Ideas: Marlee Kyles leaving Arizona women’s basketball

The sophomore was one of Arizona’s most productive players last season

Sophomore guard Marlee Kyles is leaving the Arizona women’s basketball program for personal reasons, according to a source.

A former three-star recruit, Kyles was one of Arizona’s most productive players last season. She was third on the team in scoring (8.1 ppg) and sixth in minutes played (24.4). She shot 33 percent from the field and 22 percent from 3.

Kyles became the first player in Arizona history since Shawntinice Polk to score 60 points in her first five games. The Elgin, Illinois native was rated as the No. 23 guard in the country out of Larkin High School by ESPN.

Kyles is the second guard to leave Arizona this offseason. Fellow sophomore Sammy Fatkin transferred to Montana in May. She was the No. 30 point guard in the 2017 class.

Arizona added four-star combo guard Bryce Nixon this offseason, and transfers Aarion McDonald (Washington) and Tee Tee Starks (Minnesota) will be eligible to play in 2018-19 after sitting out a year, so its guard depth is still in good shape.

The Wildcats also return two-year starter Lucia Alonso, who shot 39 percent from 3 and was the team’s leading assister last year.

McDonald is expected to make a major impact. The redshirt sophomore was named to the All-Pac-12 Freshman Team in 2016-17 after averaging 9.8 points per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3 with the Huskies.