Chiawana 5-star Talia Von Oelhoffen graduates early to join Oregon State women's basketball team

Chiawana standout Talia Von Oelhoffen has graduated from high school a semester early and will join Oregon State's women's basketball team as soon as she passes university health protocols, the program announced Friday.

Beavers coach Scott Rueck shared his elation on Twitter in response to the news. Von Oelhoffen chose Oregon State over Stanford, Oklahoma, UCLA and UConn in May. ESPN's "HoopGurlz" recruiting rankings pegs the 5-foot-11 guard as the 25th-ranked prospect in the country.

“They’ve been to the national championship,” Von Oelhoffen told SBLive in May. “I want to play a role in building something special.”

The decision means Von Oelhoffen has opted out of playing her senior high school season. She's the first highly-touted recruit to opt out of her senior season in a year where high school basketball in Washington has the longest road to a return in the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the WIAA rearranged its seasons and put traditional fall sports first. The basketball season is likely to be scheduled to take place in May and June.

SBLive tabbed Chiawana as the No. 5 ranked team in the state across all classifications entering 2021. The Riverhawks still return a lot of talent, and added Pasco transfer Aniyah Heavens.

Oregon State is 3-3 overall, 1-3 Pac-12 and has made 11 NCAA Tournaments as a program.

Von Oelhoffen joined SBLive's Face-to-Face interview series live on Instagram in May to discuss her approach to the game and commitment to Oregon State. Watch the full interview here:

(Lead photo by Vince Miller)