OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has announced the addition of four new Rebels for the 2021-22 season: transfers Angel Baker (Wright State), Lashonda Monk (ECU) and Destiny Salary (Tennessee), as well as freshman signee Jaiyah Harris-Smith (Miami, Fla./Norland High School).

 

Coach Yo and the Rebels are looking to build off their most successful postseason run since 2006-07 and their first winning season since 2016-17 following a 15-12 campaign and a trip to the WNIT final in 2020-21. Ole Miss returns nine who saw the floor last season – headlined by Honorable Mention All-American Shakira Austin, SEC Freshman of the Year Madison Scott and SEC All-Freshman honoree Snudda Collins.

 

“As a staff it was important to fill the needs of the program that we felt was necessary,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We truly believe we’ve got toughness, skill, talent and experience added on our young roster. We also believe that they complement our team and will continue raise the level of competition with our group. I believe the SEC is the most talented and competitive league in the country. In order for us to continue this climb, we have to have talent and a certain mindset. Ole Miss women’s basketball has gotten better this offseason, and we cannot wait to get in the gym with them all this summer and prepare to take things up a notch next season.”

 

Angel Baker • Senior • Guard • 5-8

Indianapolis, Ind. • Pike High School • Wright State

 

• 2x First-Team All-Horizon League

• 2020-21 Horizon League Tournament MVP

• Helped lead Wright State to third Horizon League title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in 2020-21

• Started in 56 games and played in 90 her first three years at Wright State

• Career stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, .411 FG, .365 3PT, .732 FT, 30.0 MPG

• 1,289 career points

• Averaging 1.3 threes per game throughout her career

• Averaged 18.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals, .425 FG, .352 3PT her final year at Wright State in 2020-21

• Two double-doubles in 2020-21, including a 26-point, 12-rebound performance in Wright State’s NCAA Tournament First Round victory over No. 4 seed Arkansas …

• 2020-21: 23 double-digit games, 11 games with 20 points or more

• 2018-19 Horizon League All-Freshman

• First-Team AP All-State as a senior at Pike High School

• Averaged 22.7 points across high school career, during which she was named Conference Player of the Year and an Indiana All-Star

 

Coach Yo: “I’m incredibly excited announce that Angel has decided to join us here at Ole Miss! Angel is a winner. She is a competitor and she immediately makes us better. The Ole Miss community will love Angel and she will fit in perfectly here.”

 

Lashonda Monk • Graduate Student • Guard • 5-6

Greensboro, N.C. • Southwest Guilford High School • ECU

 

• Initially declared for 2021 WNBA Draft before signing with Ole Miss

• First player in AAC history to win Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons

• Four-time All-AAC honoree (1x First-Team, 1x Second-Team, 1x Third-Team, 1x All-Rookie)

• ECU all-time leader in steals (375)

• Averaged 12.1 points in her ECU career; ended with 1,344 points (11th all-time)

• Ranks eighth all-time at ECU with 364 career assists

• Led ECU in scoring each of her final three seasons

• Set ECU single-season steals record with 125 in 2019-20

• Career-high 32 points at Cincinnati in 2020-21

• Started in 88 games, played in 111 across her ECU career

• Top-150 prospect coming out of Southwest Guilford High School

 

Coach Yo: “We are incredibly happy to have ‘Monk’ join our family. Lashonda is fierce, competitive and a high-level defender. We expect her to impact the game as soon as she steps on the floor. The community will absolutely love Monk, and we cannot wait until she joins us in a few months.”

 

Destiny Salary • Guard • 6-0

Jonesboro, Ark. • Jonesboro High School • Tennessee

 

• Played in 24 games as a freshman at Tennessee in 2020-21

• Became one of just 45 Lady Vols to score in double digits in a debut, logging 10 points, 6 rebounds and a team-high three steals vs. Western Kentucky (career-high)

• No. 57 player, No. 16 guard and a four-star prospect by ESPN coming out of high school

• Three-time All-State honoree

• 2019 USA Today Arkansas Second-Team

• Averaged 21.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks her senior year

 

Coach Yo: “I am excited about Destiny joining our family. She’s charismatic, competitive and a gym rat. She knows the SEC and has tournament experience. Destiny will play on and off the ball and make an immediate impact. Our fans will love her!”

 

Jaiyah Harris-Smith • Guard • 5-6

Miami, Fla. • Norland High School

 

• Four-year varsity letterwinner and Team Captain at Norland High School

• Four-time All-Dade team member

• Three-time Team MVP

• McDonald’s All-American nominee her senior season

• Led team to GMAC title game

• Four-time district champion

 

Coach Yo: “We welcome Jaiyah to our family! Jaiyah will be our only true freshman, she is extremely talented, a true competitor and will have a great career here at Ole Miss.”

 

Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin