UNM WBB Signs Leonor Peixinho
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos have signed their third addition to the 2025-26 roster in incoming freshman Leonor Peixinho.
“I’m proud to add another Portuguese player to this team,” commented head coach Mike Bradbury. “We have an amazing group of kids from all over the world, and I love the diversity, energy, and culture they bring every day.
“A long, versatile young talent like Leonor only adds to that. I’m excited about her potential and can’t wait to be a part of her development both on and off the court.”
A forward from Lagoa, Portugal and Escola Secundária Dom Pedro V, Peixinho stands at 6-1 and has spent the past two seasons playing with SL Benfica in Portugal. Her club team competed in the 2025 EuroCup, where she averaged 2.8 points per game, 1.2 rebounds per game and 0.8 assists per game. SL Benfica won the Senior Championship in 2023-24 and 2024-25 as well as the U18 National Championship in 2023-24.
In addition, she brings further international experience with the Portugal Youth National Team, competing at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket, the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket and the 2022 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship.
During the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket, Peixinho averaged 6.7 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game and 1.3 assists per game in 20.0 minutes per game with Portugal finishing fifth. Of note, she scored in double figures twice throughout the tournament including 20 points with six rebounds and four assists against Israel in the quarterfinals. Earlier that summer Peixinho averaged 3.4 rebounds per game and 4.3 points per game in 13.2 minutes per game behind two games with seven points with the U20 team.
In 2022, she averaged 6.4 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 1.0 assist per game with the U16 team as Portugal finished fourth.
On why UNM, she noted that, “it offers the perfect blend of academic excellence, cultural richness, and a strong sense of community. In addition, the affordability of a quality education at UNM, coupled with generous scholarship opportunities, made it a practical and smart choice. I see UNM not just as a place to earn a degree, but as a community where I can grow intellectually, culturally, and personally.”
Peixinho joins Jessie Joaquim and Cacia Antonio as offseason additions and is the second player on the roster from Portugal, joining Joana Magalhães (Lisbon).