MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho women's basketball has announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. The class includes Jaiden Bea, a guard from Washougal, Washington and cousin of current Vandals Beyonce and
Skylar Bea, Rosa Smith a guard from Kirkland, Washington and Sarah Brans a forward from Dublin, California.
Bea follows in the footsteps of her cousins but brings a completely different style of play. She was a team MVP and captain at Washougal High School, and she helped lead the Panthers to the 2018-19 State Championship as a freshman. She earned First-Team All-League and Second-Team All-State honors.
She also has academic acumen. She is an honor roll student and made the Dean's List at Clark College in Vancouver where she is taking college credits.
"I am extremely excited that Jaiden is joining our Vandal family," Idaho head coach
Jon Newlee said. "She is a big guard that is so talented offensively, she can play any spot on the floor for us because of her versatility. She finishes strong at the rim, has a great mid-range game and can hit the three consistently. I absolutely love what a great rebounder she is at the guard position. Jaiden is strong and tough defensively, able to guard 1-5 because of her quickness and strength. She will be a match-up nightmare for our opponents, and I expect her to have a big impact right away for us. Off the floor she is an amazing student, what an awesome fit for the Vandals!"
Bea is joined at the guard position by Smith, a 5-foot-6 guard from Lake Washington High School. Smith is a four-year starter at point guard for the Kangs. She led the team in points (17.9 PPG) and Assists (4.3 APG) and averaged 4.4 rebounds per game during the 2021 spring season.
She was First-Team All-Conference as a freshman and a sophomore and was named the Athlete of the Week during the 2021 season. There were no league honors during the COVID year.
In 2019-20, she helped lead Lake Washington to the state title game.
In track and field, she was the 2019 KingCo League High Jump Champiom and was a member of the 4x100-meter relay and the 4x200-meter relay state finalist teams.
She carries a 4.3 weighted GPA and received an AP Capstone certificate for her academic work.
"I am so fired up that Rosa has chosen to join our Vandal family," Newlee said. "She is a tough hard-nosed defender, extremely quick, and is able to really apply pressure to opposing ballhandlers. Offensively she is an excellent three-point shooter with deep range, her mid-range game is solid, and I love the way she attacks and finishes through contact at the rim. She is the total package and will have an immediate impact on our program. Off the floor she is an outstanding student as well. Rosa is a perfect fit for the Vandals!"
Brans, a four-year starter at Monte Vista High School where she earned All-East Bay Athletic League Honors every season. She was named All-Bay Area Third Team by West Coast Preps. She averaged 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game during her junior season.
On the AAU Circuit, she played for Jason Kidd Select and placed third at the DI AAU Western Nationals where she was selected the team MVP.
She is also a four-year scholar-athlete honoree.
"I couldn't be happier that Sarah has joined our Vandal family," Newlee said. "She is a long post player with guard skills, exactly what we were looking for in this recruiting class. Sarah can play back to the basket, her mid-range game is outstanding, and she is able to knock down three-point shots as well. I am really impressed with her passing skills at her size, she is very versatile offensively. On the defensive side she is big and strong, able to defend on the block and switch out and guard on the perimeter. Off the floor she is a great student and will fit in perfectly with the Vandals. I expect great things right away from Sarah next year!"
The Vandal women have already started non-conference play for the 2021-22 season, the first in the new ICCU Arena. Idaho is currently 1-1 on the year and hosts Washington State Sunday a 2 p.m. in the Battle of the Palouse.
