STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s women’s basketball team got a whole lot stronger on Saturday.

The school announced that Anriel Howard, a three-year starter at Southeastern Conference rival Texas A&M, will transfer to Mississippi State for the upcoming season.

Howard is a graduate transfer and will be eligible to play immediately.

Howard became the first Texas A&M player to record 1,000 career rebounds with 1,002. The Atlanta native also recorded the program’s top mark for career rebounding average with 9.8 per game, to along with 12.1 points per game. She shot 42.9 percent from the field.

Howard had 32 career double-doubles with the Aggies and helped the reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 last season.

The addition of Howard gives Mississippi State the top returning SEC players in career rebounds. Howard’s total is just behind Teaira McCowan’s 1,015 boards.

“Anriel is one of the top players in the country and a proven veteran in the best conference in the nation, so to be able to add a player like her is really special. Her experience in our conference will be not only valuable to our team, but it will enable us to use her in a leadership role on and off the floor,” MSU coach Vic Schaefer said. “Anriel is a difference player and a difference person. She will add so much to our university as well as the great state of Mississippi. We are fortunate and blessed to have Anriel as part of our Bulldog family. I know our fans will embrace her and love her in the coming season. She has always been a very difficult player to prepare for, and now it will be great to have her in the Mississippi State Maroon and White.”