MOSCOW, Idaho-- Idaho women's basketball head coach
Jon Newlee announced Friday the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. The trio, who hail from Washington, California and Australia, have signed to play for the Vandals starting in the 2019-20 season.
"The future is incredibly bright for the Vandal women's basketball program with the signing of this class, said Newlee. "They will bring so much on and off the floor to our Vandal Family. Go Vandals!"
Beyonce Bea
6-1 | Guard/Forward | Washougal, Wash. [Washougal HS]
Bea is 6-1 guard/forward combo from Washougal High School in Washougal, Wash. She averaged 18 points, ten rebounds, three blocks and three steals as a junior as she led Washougal High School to a 20-6 record a season ago. The two-time GSHL All-League MVP was also an All-League and All-Region first-team selection throughout her high school career. Bea tabbed weekly honors as WIAA Athlete of the Week and Player of the Game by Eli Sports. Adding to her resume, the AP All-State First team athlete, joined the 1,000 career-points club as a junior where she averaged 53 percent from the floor and 84 percent for the stripe.
While Bea found much success on the hardwood, she also found time to receive high praises in two other sports, Volleyball and Tennis, as she was award the Multi-sport Female Athlete of the Year honor. She's received All-League recognition for both volleyball and tennis at Washougal High School.
"Beyonce is an unbelievably talented player that is smart, tough, aggressive and so versatile at both ends of the floor, said Newlee. "I believe she is one of the top recruits to ever sign at Idaho. She is able to dominate inside with her length and athleticism, and she is an excellent perimeter shooter with 3-point range. She can get easy baskets in transition because she runs the floor so well. She will definitely be a matchup nightmare for teams in the future. Defensively, she can guard 2-5, which is a great luxury to have as a coach. Bea is a fantastic student as well, and she is a perfect fit in our Vandal family."
Champney Pulliam
5-10 | Guard | Fresno, Calif. [Clovis West HS]
Pulliam is a four-year letter winner at Clovis West High School where she has accumulated a multitude of honors in her career, including Offensive Player of the year, All-League, All-Valley and All-State recognition. With her ability to shoot the ball well, Pulliam helped lead the Golden Panthers to three league championships, three section championships, a CIF Open Division State Championship and an undefeated record over the last three years.
Pulliam is another multi-sport athlete as she is a three-year varsity volleyball player. She has earned Rookie of the Year and was team captain during her career.
"Champ is one of the best shooters I've seen at the high school level, and that skill will translate perfectly into our offensive scheme here at Idaho," commented Newlee. "She has great length and athleticism for a shooting guard. She is able to use those traits on the defensive end as well. She has been coached by one of the top high school coaches in the country for the last four years, winning a National Championship at Clovis West. We will now have two players in our program who have won National High School Championships at two different schools, joining
Hailey Christopher from Central Valley."
Caitlyn Jones
5-9 | Guard | Perth, Australia [Woodvale Secondary College]
Jones is a two-time State Basketball League (SBL) Division I All-star from Western Australia. The two-time West Australian Junior League MVP was a member of the Perth Lynx Academy, which is a part of Australian Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), in 2016 and 2017. Jones was recognized as a West Australian Junior League All-star four consecutive times and awarded Best Offensive player in 2016. The Perth native represented West Australia State in the U16's and U18's championships.
Jones, also a multi-sport athlete, was team captain of her track and field team.
"Caitlyn is one of the top shooting guards in Australia," stated Newlee. "She reminds me so much of
Taylor Pierce, who has had an unbelievably great career so far here at Idaho. Caitlyn is not just a shooter; she has good handles, can create off the bounce and does a great job of passing the basketball. She is a perfect fit for our system at Idaho. It's also great to continue our tradition of getting top talent from Australia in our program. We have had fantastic Aussies on our NCAA tournament teams, and Caitlyn will keep that tradition going!"
Quotes from the Class
Beyonce Bea on her commitment to join the Vandals
"I chose Idaho because I immediately connected with the coaching staff and team and I believe I can fit in with the Vandal Family. The campus is beautiful, the academics are strong, and the women's basketball culture is something that I would love to be a part of."
Champney Pulliam on her commitment to join the Vandals
"I chose Idaho because of the established culture and family-like traditions. I love the coaches, the team and the style of play," said Pulliam. "I am most excited to be a part of the winning culture, meet new people, and make memories with my teammates."
Caitlyn Jones on her commitment to join the Vandals
"So many things excite me about heading to Idaho, but I'm most excited for a new experience. I have always dreamt of living in another country, and to be able to combine academics with basketball is an unreal opportunity."
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho women's basketball by following the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @VandalsWBB. Ticket packages are on sale at GoVandals.com/Tickets.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
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