Photo by: Brian Persinger
Carey Inks Five to NLIs
November 16, 2018 03:15 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia women's basketball team has signed five players as part of National Signing Day, as announced by coach Mike Carey on Friday.
Guard Leilani Correa (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Twp.), guard Kirsten Deans (Greensboro, N.C./Connections Academy), forward Jada Wright (Chicago, Ill./Trinity Valley CC), guard Alreighshya McElroy (Dallas, Texas/Trinity Valley CC) and center Blessing Ejiofor (Ebonyi, Nigeria/Chipola College) have committed to the Mountaineers for the 2019-20 season.
"We're very excited about our recruiting class," coach Mike Carey said. "We brought in a lot of players who we think can contribute immediately to this program. We were focusing on getting some additional players on the perimeter, and we've been able to do that. They can come right in and play. We also focused on getting some height and some post players, and we've been able to do that. Overall, we're very excited. There will be a lot more on these young ladies as we go on, but we feel we've been very successful going out and recruiting some of the best players in the country."
Leilani Correa is a 5-foot-10 guard out of Manchester, New Jersey. Rated a four-star recruit by ESPN Hoop Gurlz, she ranks at No. 17 in her position and No. 62 overall. Additionally, she is rated at four-and-a-half stars as the No. 37 recruit in the class of 2019 by Prospects Nation, and ranked as high as No. 8 amongst guards by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. Correa led Rutgers Prep to three straight South Jersey, Non-Public B titles before transferring to Manchester Township to finish out her career. A 2017-18 All-USA New Jersey First Team honoree, Correa was a member of the U.S.A. Basketball 3x3 U18 National Championship team. The daughter of Candace and Joshua Correa, she also played for the Philly Belles Burbridge and intends to major in criminal justice at WVU, which she chose over Florida and Louisville.
A 5-foot-8 guard, Kirsten Deans hails from Greensboro, North Carolina. A five-star ESPN Hoop Gurlz prospect, she rates as the No. 11 player at her position and the No. 51 player overall in her recruiting class. Additionally, she is rated the No. 10 combo guard and is a top-50 player by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, and is rated a four-star recruit by Prospects Nation. Deans played for Westridge Academy and Connections Academy, as well as the Lady Pheonix Elite under the direction of coach Delaney Rudd, father of current Mountaineer junior Lucky Rudd. During the 2017-18 season, she helped Westridge to a runner-up finish at the USA Prep Championship and to a No. 21 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 Expert Rankings. The daughter of Kimberly and Gregory Deans, she chose WVU over Clemson, Minnesota and East Carolina and intends to major in broadcast journalism.
Jada Wright is a 6-foot-3 post player out of Chicago who comes to Morgantown by way of Trinity Valley Community College, the former home of current WVU senior Naomi Davenport. Originally committed to Rutgers out of high school, Wright developed into the top JUCO center and the No. 9 overall JUCO player before an injury sidelined her for the 2018-19 season. Out of Rich East High in Chicago, she was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN, coming in at No. 11 in her position and No. 84 overall for the class of 2017. Wright was nominated to the 2017 McDonald's All-America team during her senior season. She is the daughter of Melody Shaw.
A 5-foot-8 shooting guard, Arleighshya McElroy also comes to West Virginia via Trinity Valley Community College. After committing to Texas A&M out of high school, the Dallas native averaged 10.6 points per game for the Cards in 2017-18. She was a four-star ESPN recruit out of Richardson East High in 2016, coming in at No. 18 in her position and at No. 62 for the class of 2016 and has developed into the top JUCO shooting guard and the No. 3 overall JUCO recruit. McElroy was USA TODAY All-State Selection, who earned District 10-6A MVP honors in 2015 after earning District 9-5A MVP honors in 2014. Additionally, McElroy was named a TABC First Team All-State selection. She is the daughter of Lekeisha Choice and intends to major in athletic coaching education at WVU.
A native of Ebonyi, Nigeria, Blessing Ejiofor is a 6-foot-5 center out of Chipola College. Originally a member of the class of 2016, she was rated at No. 18 by Prospects Nation and at No. 20 by ESPN Hoop Gurlz for her position. Additionally, she was a top 100 overall prospect by Prospects Nation out of Paterson Eastside High in Paterson, New Jersey, and was considered a three-star recruit by ESPN. Ejiofor committed to Vanderbilt out of high school and saw action in 22 games as a true freshman for the Commodores. She later transferred to Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, for the 2018-19 season. Ejiofor is the daughter of Joy and Okike Ejiofor and is hosted by Natalie Jordan.
Guard Leilani Correa (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Twp.), guard Kirsten Deans (Greensboro, N.C./Connections Academy), forward Jada Wright (Chicago, Ill./Trinity Valley CC), guard Alreighshya McElroy (Dallas, Texas/Trinity Valley CC) and center Blessing Ejiofor (Ebonyi, Nigeria/Chipola College) have committed to the Mountaineers for the 2019-20 season.
"We're very excited about our recruiting class," coach Mike Carey said. "We brought in a lot of players who we think can contribute immediately to this program. We were focusing on getting some additional players on the perimeter, and we've been able to do that. They can come right in and play. We also focused on getting some height and some post players, and we've been able to do that. Overall, we're very excited. There will be a lot more on these young ladies as we go on, but we feel we've been very successful going out and recruiting some of the best players in the country."
Leilani Correa is a 5-foot-10 guard out of Manchester, New Jersey. Rated a four-star recruit by ESPN Hoop Gurlz, she ranks at No. 17 in her position and No. 62 overall. Additionally, she is rated at four-and-a-half stars as the No. 37 recruit in the class of 2019 by Prospects Nation, and ranked as high as No. 8 amongst guards by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. Correa led Rutgers Prep to three straight South Jersey, Non-Public B titles before transferring to Manchester Township to finish out her career. A 2017-18 All-USA New Jersey First Team honoree, Correa was a member of the U.S.A. Basketball 3x3 U18 National Championship team. The daughter of Candace and Joshua Correa, she also played for the Philly Belles Burbridge and intends to major in criminal justice at WVU, which she chose over Florida and Louisville.
A 5-foot-8 guard, Kirsten Deans hails from Greensboro, North Carolina. A five-star ESPN Hoop Gurlz prospect, she rates as the No. 11 player at her position and the No. 51 player overall in her recruiting class. Additionally, she is rated the No. 10 combo guard and is a top-50 player by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, and is rated a four-star recruit by Prospects Nation. Deans played for Westridge Academy and Connections Academy, as well as the Lady Pheonix Elite under the direction of coach Delaney Rudd, father of current Mountaineer junior Lucky Rudd. During the 2017-18 season, she helped Westridge to a runner-up finish at the USA Prep Championship and to a No. 21 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 Expert Rankings. The daughter of Kimberly and Gregory Deans, she chose WVU over Clemson, Minnesota and East Carolina and intends to major in broadcast journalism.
Jada Wright is a 6-foot-3 post player out of Chicago who comes to Morgantown by way of Trinity Valley Community College, the former home of current WVU senior Naomi Davenport. Originally committed to Rutgers out of high school, Wright developed into the top JUCO center and the No. 9 overall JUCO player before an injury sidelined her for the 2018-19 season. Out of Rich East High in Chicago, she was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN, coming in at No. 11 in her position and No. 84 overall for the class of 2017. Wright was nominated to the 2017 McDonald's All-America team during her senior season. She is the daughter of Melody Shaw.
A 5-foot-8 shooting guard, Arleighshya McElroy also comes to West Virginia via Trinity Valley Community College. After committing to Texas A&M out of high school, the Dallas native averaged 10.6 points per game for the Cards in 2017-18. She was a four-star ESPN recruit out of Richardson East High in 2016, coming in at No. 18 in her position and at No. 62 for the class of 2016 and has developed into the top JUCO shooting guard and the No. 3 overall JUCO recruit. McElroy was USA TODAY All-State Selection, who earned District 10-6A MVP honors in 2015 after earning District 9-5A MVP honors in 2014. Additionally, McElroy was named a TABC First Team All-State selection. She is the daughter of Lekeisha Choice and intends to major in athletic coaching education at WVU.
A native of Ebonyi, Nigeria, Blessing Ejiofor is a 6-foot-5 center out of Chipola College. Originally a member of the class of 2016, she was rated at No. 18 by Prospects Nation and at No. 20 by ESPN Hoop Gurlz for her position. Additionally, she was a top 100 overall prospect by Prospects Nation out of Paterson Eastside High in Paterson, New Jersey, and was considered a three-star recruit by ESPN. Ejiofor committed to Vanderbilt out of high school and saw action in 22 games as a true freshman for the Commodores. She later transferred to Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, for the 2018-19 season. Ejiofor is the daughter of Joy and Okike Ejiofor and is hosted by Natalie Jordan.
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