BOONE, N.C. - App State women's basketball coach
Alaura Sharp announced the addition of Feryal Defne Atli to the 2025-26 roster on Thursday.
Feryal Defne Atli | 6' 3" | F | Mersin, Türkiye | Ankara Ari College | West Virginia
Joining the Mountaineers from Mersin, Türkiye, Atli will compete as a forward. Atli spent her freshman season at West Virginia, where she appeared in eight games for the Mountaineers. She also played for the Cankaya University Sports Club team under the direction of Sefa Gunduz and Kursat Keskintumur. She played alongside former WNBA players Brook McCarthy, Shatori Walker, and Nathalie Fontaine while on the Cankaya University Sports Club team.
Additionally, Atli has several years of experience playing for the Türkiye National Team, appearing in multiple international championships. She was the youngest player to be called up to the 2024 U20 Turkish National Team at 17 years old. Atli also served as the captain of the U18 team, which competed at the 2024 FIBA European Championship in Portugal. For three consecutive seasons, Atli led the U19 Turkish league in rebounds. Her most memorable experience was going to China for the School World Championship and helping her team to a fifth-place finish. She is also a four-time First Five tournament team selection.
Atli plans on studying biology while in the High Country with the goal of becoming a neuroscientist. She also enjoys putting together Lego sets in her free time.
Why Atli Chose App State: "I chose App State because there is a really realistic family structure here. The campus is really beautiful, and Coach Sharp is a really good coach. I think she will teach me really good things and will develop me in every way."
Sharp on Atli: "We are proud to add Defne to our roster. She is a high character, fun and engaging person. Her ceiling as a player is incredibly high. She gives us an inside and outside presence who has competed at a high level internationally."
