Women's Basketball Announces Four Newcomers
4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sacred Heart University women's basketball coach Jessica Mannetti officially announced the four-members of the Pioneers incoming class. The Pioneers welcome two first-years; Tiffany Hammond (Trenton, N.J.) and Kelsey Wood (Wynantskill, N.Y.) and two transfers, who will serve their NCAA year in residence in 2020-21, Wil'lisha Jackson (Rahway, N.J.) and Olivia Tucker (Newark, Del) to the program for the Fall 2020 semester.
"I am excited to announce four new members of our Sacred Heart Women's Basketball Program to add to a veteran team returning for our 2020-21 season," said Mannetti. "Each brings a very different element to the floor and will add versatility and depth to various positions. The one thing they all have in common is their ability to bring 100% effort to the court at all times. I'm thrilled to welcome them to our Pioneer team and am extremely eager to coach them!"
The Pioneers won 13 games and were set to play in the NEC semifinals, for the fifth consecutive season, when the league canceled the tournament early last month. SHU ended the campaign with five consecutive wins, earning the fifth-seed in the NEC Tournament; which is has qualified for in each season as a Division I program. The Pioneers return a dozen student-athletes from the 2019-20 roster for the coming season.
TIFFANY HAMMOND – GUARD – LIFE CENTER ACADEMY
- As a senior, was a McDonald's All-America and Gatorade Player of the Year nominee
- Led her squad to the 2017 Penn-Jersey Conference Championship
- She averaged 15 points, 5.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals a game as a senior
Mannetti's Take
"Tiffany is a steal for us at the guard spot. She adds to our guard depth and can play a variety of positions from point to combo guard. As a natural scorer, she will fit in quickly with our style of play as she thrives in an up-tempo setting!"
WIL'LISHA JACKSON – GUARD/FORWARD – SAINT PETER'S UNIVERSITY (Rahway High School)
- Played in 60 games, over two seasons, at Saint Peter's, and led the team in rebounding in 2019-20
- Two-year team captain at Rahway, helping the team to a 2017 Union County Division Championship
- Scored over 900 points, grabbed 575 rebounds and blocked 41 shots in her career
- Named 2018 Union County Scholar-Athlete and earned All-Mountain Division
Mannetti's Take
"Wil, as she likes to be called, is a high-motor combo guard who never stops working. She does it all from scoring to rebounding to defending. She will be a huge challenge for any team as she never stops working on both ends of the floor."
OLIVIA TUCKER – GUARD – ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY (Sanford School)
- Played in 29 games at St. Bonaventure in 2019-20 and averaged 3.7 points in 15.7 minutes per game
- Tallied a collegiate-best 20 points versus Bucknell, hitting 6-13 from behind the arc in the game
- Three-time Delaware All-State honoree, and four-time All-Conference selection, at Sanford School
- Averaged 16.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game in high school
Mannetti's Take
"Olivia is one of the purest shooters on the floor you will ever see with a great court IQ and feel for the game. We recruited her coming out of high school and jumped at the opportunity to get her when she listed herself in the transfer portal."
KELSEY WOOD – POST – AVERILL PARK HIGH SCHOOL
- Helped Averill Park to five section titles during her career
- Reached the 1,000-point plateau as a junior, as she earned her first of back-to-back All-Area accolades
- She was selected the MVP of the Section 2 Suburban Council Class A Tournament her junior year
- Named First-Team All-Times Union and Second-Team Daily Gazette All-Area
- Tallied a collegiate-best 20 points versus Bucknell, hitting 6-13 from behind the arc in the game
- Three-time Delaware All-State honoree, and four-time All-Conference selection, at Sanford School
- Averaged 16.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game in high school
Mannetti's Take
"I'm thrilled to add Kelsey to our post depth. She is a versatile mobile post with guard skills who brings a relentless work ethic to the team. Her presence in the paint will be felt immediately with her rebounding and ability to score both inside and out."
