After a record-setting senior season, former SIU women’s basketball center Dyana Pierre is heading to Finland to start her professional hoops career.

Pierre signed a deal Wednesday with Finnish Äänekosken Huima in the Naisten Korisliiga league, the highest level of women’s basketball in the European country.

“I want to thank Southern Illinois University, Coach Stein and all of my coaches, my agent at Merit Management Group and my teammates for this opportunity to continue my basketball playing career,” Pierre said in a press release.

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The Florida native finished her career as the only Saluki with 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 assists and 100 blocks.

Pierre served as one of the catalysts to turn a 7-24 program her freshman year into a 20-13 program last season, reaching the postseason for the first time in nine years.

MORE: Top sports performances of spring 2016 

She also ranks first in SIU history in career rebounds with 1,218 and blocks with 162.

Pierre becomes the seventh Saluki women’s basketball player to sign a pro contract to play overseas, joining a group that includes SIU hall-of-famer Amy Rakers.

Staff writer Ted Ward can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @TedWard_DE.

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