EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball has signed transfer guard Tamara Ortiz ahead of the 2026-27 season. Ortiz is a 5'4" guard who will join the Screaming Eagles as a redshirt junior.
 
A Columbus, Ohio, native, Ortiz comes to USI after spending the 2025-26 campaign at the University of South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference. Last season, Ortiz appeared in 33 games and made seven starts for the Jaguars, averaging over nine points and nearly three rebounds per game. Plus, Ortiz recorded nearly 80 assists and almost 40 steals. The guard recorded more than five assists in six games and led the squad with a 77.3 free-throw percentage as a redshirt sophomore.
 
"We are extremely excited to have Tamara join our team and our USI Family!" USI Women's Basketball Head Coach Rick Stein said. "Tamara is a great fit with our program, culture, and style of play, bringing a tremendous amount of experience to our point guard position, where we just graduated two outstanding seniors!"
 
"Tamara is a playmaking guard who can score it and also make plays for her teammates. Tamara's work ethic, leadership, and skill set will make an immediate impact with our team on both ends of the court."
 
Ortiz helped lead South Alabama to a quarterfinal appearance in the Sun Belt Championship and the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). In the third round of the Sun Belt Tournament, Ortiz set career highs with 22 points, nine free throws, and four steals. In the Jaguars' WNIT contest against Alcorn State University, Ortiz drained 10 free throws.
 
Prior to competing for South Alabama, Ortiz spent two seasons at Central Michigan University, although she did not appear in 2024-25 and redshirted. As a freshman in 2023-24, Ortiz made nine starts in 12 games played for the Chippewas, averaging over 28 minutes per game and leading the team in scoring at nearly 12 points per outing. Ortiz logged two 20-point games that season.
 
Ortiz graduated from Westerville South High School, where she was an Ohio Division I Second-Team All-State selection in 2023, an All-Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division Player of the Year in 2023, a two-time All-OCC First-Team selection, and helped her squad win a district championship in 2023.
 
Ortiz played club basketball for the Ohio Lady Hoopsters, Ohio Impact, and Ohio United.