women's hoops adds six 2023 signees

[aubiefifty 16,916]

247sports.com

 

Auburn women's hoops adds six 2023 signees

AuburnUndercover.com Staff

6–8 minutes

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AUBURN, Ala. – Six new student-athletes will join the Auburn women’s basketball team for the 2023-24 season after signing with the Tigers over the last few weeks, head coach Johnnie Harris announced today.

Auburn will welcome five transfers to the Plains: Taylen Collins (6-1, F, Muldrow, Okla./Oklahoma State), McKenna Eddings (6-0, G, Williamsburg, Va./Moberly Area CC), Kionna Gaines (5-9, G, Columbus, Ga./Clemson), JaMya Mingo-Young (5-8, PG, Bogalusa, La./Alabama), and Celia Sumbane (6-1, F, Maputo, Mozambique/South Plains CC).  Also joining the Tigers will be freshman Yakiya Milton (F, 6-4, Jacksonville, Fla.).

Along with November signees Timya Thurman and Savannah Scott, the Tigers will have eight new players on the roster for next season.

Below is some information about the newest Tigers:

TAYLEN COLLINS

Position: Forward

Height: 6-1

Hometown: Muldrow, Okla.

High School: Muldrow

Previous School: Oklahoma State

Highlights: Started all 33 games for Oklahoma State as a junior, averaging 9.5 points and 9.1 rebounds … Led OSU and was 4th in the Big 12 in rebounds … Tied a school record with 23 rebounds in a win over North Texas on Dec. 3 … Recorded nine double-doubles in 2022-23 … Started 28 of 29 games in 2021-22 and led OSU with 6.9 rebounds per game … Was a Big 12 All-Freshman selection in 2020-21, starting 25 of 28 games as a freshman … Has played in Neville Arena; scored 11 points and had eight rebounds when Oklahoma State visited Auburn in December 2021 … Will have two years of eligibility at Auburn.

Coach J on Taylen: “Taylen is coming to us with three years of experience in the Big 12. She’s another player that fits our system very well. She plays with passion and with a purpose, and her relentless rebounding is something that will help us tremendously right away.”

MCKENNA EDDINGS

Position: Guard

Height: 6-0

Hometown: Williamsburg, Va.

High School: Warhill

Previous School: Moberly Area CC (Mo.)

Highlights: Averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.4 steals per game, leading Moberly Area CC to a 29-4 record in 2023 … First-Team NJCAA All-American … Region 16 Player of the Year … Scored career-high 38 points in win over Three Rivers CC … Originally signed with Stetson out of high school, played in 10 games there as a freshman in 2020-21 … Will have two years of eligibility at Auburn.

Coach J on McKenna: “McKenna has tremendous range on her shot, which is something we were looking for in this class. She will be able stretch the defense but can also create off the bounce. She is another long, athletic player who can play multiple positions. This will aid in our ability to switch up and play positionless basketball.”

KIONNA GAINES

Position: Guard

Height: 5-9

Hometown: Columbus, Ga.

High School: Carver

Previous School: Clemson

Highlights: Played in all 35 games for Clemson in 2022-23 … Averaged 2.4 points and 1.7 rebounds per game … Played in 27 games as a freshman, averaging 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds … Career-high of 18 points twice, vs. Georgia Tech and Wake Forest … Ranked as No. 52 overall prospect and No. 19 guard out of high school by ESPN … Georgia AAAA State Player of the Year as a senior at Carver HS … Led Carver to two state titles … Will have two years of eligibility at Auburn.

Coach J on Kionna: “Kionna is a player that fits what we want to do on both ends of the ball. She can get out and pressure the ball, as well as play passing lanes. She also has the ability to create her own shot and get to the basket and finish.”

YAKIYA MILTON

Position: Forward

Height: 6-4

Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.

High School: Mandarin

Club Team: East Coast United/Southeast United

Highlights: Averaged 10.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.8 blocks as a senior at Mandarin HS … Played at University Christian HS as a junior, averaging 7.7 points/game to lead her team to the class 2A state semifinals … Chose Auburn over eight other Division I offers.

Coach J on Yakiya: “Yakiya is dominant on the defensive end of the floor with her ability to block shots, guard both inside and outside, and help side defense; not to mention she takes charges. She is multidimensional on the offensive side of the ball, scoring in the paint, pull up jumpers, and shooting the 3. She runs the floor and finishes well in transition. She could very well be the sleeper of the class.”

JAMYA MINGO-YOUNG

Position: Point Guard

Height: 5-8

Hometown: Bogalusa, La.

High School: Loranger

Previous Schools: Alabama/Mississippi State

Highlights: Played in 14 games for Alabama last season before missing the rest of the season with injury ... Averaged 5.4 points, 4.4 assists, 1.5 assists … Started all 34 games in the 2021-22 season for Alabama, averaging 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals … Shot 47.1% from the field … Double-digit scoring 20 times … Played two seasons at Mississippi State, including the 2019-20 season under Harris … Averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 2020-21 … Was third on the team in assists and steals in 2019-20 … Has one year of eligibility for Auburn.

Coach J on JaMya: “Mingo is a fierce competitor! She epitomizes our foundation, which is tough, hard-nosed, physical, and aggressive. This is the type of player that helps elevate your program to an elite level. She has a winning mentality. Fans will love watching her on the court and will love her even more off the court.”

CELIA SUMBANE

Position: Forward/Wing

Height: 6-1

Hometown: Maputo, Mozambique

Previous School: South Plains CC (Texas)

Highlights: Led South Plains CC in scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg) as a sophomore … Named an NJCAA First-Team All-American in 2023 … Ranked No. 18 overall and No. 3 in her position by Dan Olson Collegiate Basketball Report … Competed for home country of Mozambique at 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup … Will have two years of eligibility for Auburn.

19COMMENTS

Coach J on Celia: “One of the things that excites me the most about Celia is her versatility. She can play multiple positions on defense. Her length, athleticism, and speed make her a perfect fit for our system.”

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[ArgoEagle 1,800]

This is what I call revamping an entire team... I'm all for it.. We absolutely sucked this past year!!!

[AuburnNTexas 7,174]

while our record was not very good this past year and no way were we near the talent level of the better SEC women's teams part of the issues was the rash of injuries of key players. I was hoping that we would pick up some key players both in Freshmen class and Portal and we would be improved in the upcoming season. Instead I saw a large number of players leaving the team and some were very good players. 

I now see this list of incoming Portal players but not watching that much woman's basketball and not knowing much about these players other then the quick Bio in this article I am not sure if this is an infusion of better talent then what left and we will be improved or just cutting out losses and we will not be very good.

Could somebody more knowledgeable them me on the Women's basketball side please let me and others know if you think this group will make us better, the same, or worse?

Thank you in advance for educating me either way.  

[shadowfight 4]

On 5/8/2023 at 10:16 PM, AuburnNTexas said:

while our record was not very good this past year and no way were we near the talent level of the better SEC women's teams part of the issues was the rash of injuries of key players. I was hoping that we would pick up some key players both in Freshmen class and Portal and we would be improved in the upcoming season. Instead I saw a large number of players leaving the team and some were very good players. 

I now see this list of incoming Portal players but not watching that much woman's basketball and not knowing much about these players other then the quick Bio in this article I am not sure if this is an infusion of better talent then what left and we will be improved or just cutting out losses and we will not be very good.

Could somebody more knowledgeable them me on the Women's basketball side please let me and others know if you think this group will make us better, the same, or worse?

Firstly, the impact of new players on a team's performance is not always straightforward. While new talent can certainly improve a team, it's important to consider factors like team chemistry, players heights, weights, coaching, and overall strategy. A team with a lot of new players may take time to gel and may need time to adjust to new roles and playing styles.

Additionally, the quality of new players can vary widely, and it's important to evaluate each player on their individual merits. While a player's bio can provide some information, it's also important to look at their stats from previous seasons and to consider how their skills and playing style will fit into the team's overall strategy

[AuburnNTexas 7,174]

8 hours ago, shadowfight said:

Firstly, the impact of new players on a team's performance is not always straightforward. While new talent can certainly improve a team, it's important to consider factors like team chemistry, players heights, weights, coaching, and overall strategy. A team with a lot of new players may take time to gel and may need time to adjust to new roles and playing styles.

Additionally, the quality of new players can vary widely, and it's important to evaluate each player on their individual merits. While a player's bio can provide some information, it's also important to look at their stats from previous seasons and to consider how their skills and playing style will fit into the team's overall strategy

I agree with all you said. Since all I had on these women was the quick Bio I was hoping somebody who watches a lot of womens college basketaball could give me thier opinion just talent wise if these players are better then what we lost.  I realize then playing together and chemistry is a big part of the equation.

[AU9377 5,043]

The upcoming season is big for this staff.  Turning the roster over has to be productive at some point, or problems beyond the roster have to be addressed. I like Johnnie, but Auburn invests an incredible amount of resources in women's basketball and there has to be some positive momentum at some point.

[warladytigers 185]

Lots of "coach speak" on the transfers - we'll see what the product on the floor looks like soon enough.