University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA WBB Signs Three Players
November 09, 2017 | Women's Basketball
The Bruins ink Shayley Harris, Kiara Jefferson and Ahlana Smith on the first day of signing period.
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- UCLA head women's basketball coach Cori Close announced today the signing of three heralded players to a National Letter of Intent for the 2017-18 recruiting class. The class, which is ranked No. 19 by Prospects Nation, includes Shayley Harris (Redding, Calif./Folsom HS), Kiara Jefferson (Sacramento, Calif./West Campus HS) and Ahlana Smith (Charlotte, N.C./Mallard Creek HS). All three will enter UCLA in the fall of 2018 as a freshman and will become members of the 2018-19 women's basketball team.
"We are so excited about this year's recruiting class," Close said. "We think we have a great class, not only in terms of basketball abilities, but in who they are as young women."
Harris is a 6-foot-6-inch forward/center at Folsom High School in Folsom, Calif. Her senior year will be her first and only with the Bulldogs. She spent her junior season at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, Calif. The Trojans went 23-11 overall and 11-1 in the Sierra Foothill League (first place). Harris averaged 7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game as a junior in 2016-17 as she was named First Team All-League. She spent her first two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16) at University Prep in Redding, Calif., where she averaged 12.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game as a sophomore and was named League MVP. That year, the Panthers went 25-6 overall and 8-0 in the Sacramento Valley - North (first place). She averaged 7.2 points, 6.8 rebounds,3 .6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game as a freshman as University Prep went 20-9 and 7-1 (tied for first) in SVN. She plays her club ball for Just Believe Sports (JBS). She is ranked 65th by Premier Basketball Report (#19 center) and 118th by Dan Olson Girl's Basketball Report (#18 center). She is also rated No. 100 by Blue Star Media
"Shayley is so competitive," Coach Close said. "She is a versatile forward and will be a great rim protector for us. She has good hands and runs the floor well. She is also an incredible student that loves serving her community. She will fit into our Bruin culture really well and will be a great player for us."
Jefferson is a 5-foot-9-inch guard at West Campus High School in Sacramento, Calif. She is a Second Team All-Metro, an All-League and Golden Empire League Player of the Year after leading the Warriors to the Golden Empire League title, the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV crown, the Northern California Regional D-IV championship and the CIF Girl's Division IV state championship in 2017 as a junior. In the title game, she took over in the fourth quarter and finished with 24 points (10-for-13) shooting and added eight rebounds and four steals. She averaged 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.2 assists per game a year ago as the Warriors went 30-4 overall and 12-0 in the Golden Empire League. She also led her team to a league title her sophomore year (25-8 overall, 12-0) as she averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 assists per game in 2016. She put up similar numbers her freshman campaign (2015), averaging 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.2 assists per game as CWHS went 20-8 overall and 11-1 in league play. She plays her club ball for the Oakland Raiders. She is ranked 70th by Premier Basketball Report (#35 guard) and 164th by Dan Olson Girl's Basketball Report (#43 guard). She is also rated No. 48 by Blue Star Media and No. 65 by Prospects Nation.
"Kiara really blew me away last weekend," Close said. "She has a depth to her and is very inquisitive, not only about life, but about the game of basketball. She is a great defender and takes pride in it. She also has a great mid-range game and is working on her three-ball. She will be a tough player to guard."
Smith is a 5-foot-9-inch guard at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, N.C. She was named to First Team All-MeCKa 4A and as the State Tournament MVP as the Mavericks went 29-1 overall in her junior year (2017). MCHS fell in the state semifinals after winning the MeCKa 4A title (12-0) last year. She averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game last year, her first at MCHS. She spent the first two years at Zebulon B. Vance High School, also in Charlotte, N.C., and also in the MeCKa 4A league. She averaged 21.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 steals, 2.0 assists and 1.8 blocks per game as a sophomore for the Cougars of Vance High while being named All-League. She also averaged 19.4 points per game as a freshman at ZBVHS in 2014-15. She is ranked 30th in the espnW's HoopGurlz rankins, 32nd by Premier Basketball Report (#13 guard) and 28th by Dan Olson Girl's Basketball Report (#9 guard). She is also rated No. 51 by Blue Star Media and No. 34 by Prospects Nation.
"Ahlana is a versatile scorer and has the quickness of Japreece Dean with the scoring mentality of Nirra Fields," Close said. "She is a combo guard that can score off the bounce, has a great mid-range game as well as a three-ball and possesses great athleticism."
