Rapid sign Japreece Dean, ex Kibirkstis

Japreece Dean

CS Rapid Bucuresti (Liga Nationala) signed 30-year old American 168cm guard Japreece Dean (college: UCLA) for the new season. She is the second import player in the roster, with Slovakian Terezia Palenikova signing earlier. Dean was the top scorer at Kibirkstis in the Lithuanian Moteru Lyga. She played in four leagues last year, experiencing basketball at different levels. In 18 Moteru Lyga games, she averaged an impressive 15.7ppg, 4.1rpg, 5.7apg, and 2.8spg, helping her team win the League title and cup. Dean was named Eurobasket.com All-Lithuanian League Import Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Player of the Year. She also played in Euroleague and Eurocup, as well as contributing to the WBBL championship. In the WBBL, she was named Import Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Player of the Year. In the previous season (2024-25), she played for Adelaide Lightning in the Australian league.
In 2020, she was selected by the Chicago Sky (WNBA) in the third round (25th overall).
Dean graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles and it will be her seventh season in pro basketball.
She is a very experienced player, thanks to pro basketball she experienced life in nine different countries playing on four different continents. Dean is familiar with European, Latin American, Australian and of course North American leagues. She has played professionally in Australia, France (Hainaut and Toulouse), Greece (Dafni Agioy), Hungary (Ludovika-Csata), Mexico (Plateras), Puerto Rico (Atenienses), Russia (Dynamo Novosibirsk Region) and Turkey (Kayseri). Dean played also for Texas Tech University for 2 years.


CS Rapid Bucuresti roster for 2026-27:

Guards:
Annemarie Gordi-Parau
Bianca Voica
Ioana Ghizila
Japreece Dean

Forwards:
Terezia Palenikova
Bianca Nan
Elena Zane

Center:
Nicolett Orban