Women’s Basketball Signs Four to National Letters of Intent

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo women's basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack announced the signing of Laney Bone, Casey Valenti-Paea, Kaelonn Wilson and Georgia Woolley to National Letters of Intent on Thursday.

"I want to thank my staff for diving into the recruiting process, especially given the different circumstances of this summer, and putting together one of the best recruiting classes that we've had to date," said Legette-Jack. "I really think that Coach Sharkey as our recruiting coordinator has searched the world to come up with student-athletes that will continue to raise the banners here at Buffalo."

Legette-Jack continues to expand the Bulls international presence by tapping into the pipeline from the "land down under" with the signing of Woolley, a 6'0" guard from Brisbane, Australia who is ranked in the top 20 in her class. The do-it-all guard put on a show in her senior season tournament averaging 43.1 points, 19.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting a personal best 90.1% from the free throw line. She helped lead St. Pauls School, to its first premiership title in over 15 years and they were the first ever "Open Firsts" girls basketball team to win a school premiership. She was named the 2019 Brisbane Basketball Graduate Player of the Year, was the recipient of the 2019 "Amarlie Carol Trophy" for the most valuable player of the Queensland School Sport Basketball Tournament and was also the 2019 Southern Basketball League MVP. Woolley was a member of the Queensland U20 All-State team that took home a silver medal at the Australian National Championships, averaging 15.4 points per game, and earned a silver medal with the U18 squad as well. She also had the honor of attending the 11^th edition of Basketball without Borders Asia, where she was chosen as the women's camp MVP. This fall, Woolley competed in the 2020 Queensland State League where she helped lead the Brisbane Capitals to an 8-3 overall record while averaging 15.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Legette-Jack on Woolley: "Georgia is the most well rounded kid of this class. She can take you off the bounce, shoot the three ball and she uses her length really well. We battled some high-level programs to bring her here but she believed in what we are building and wants to help take this program to the next level. We are so excited to have her at UB and fans get ready because you will love this kid."

Valenti-Paea is a 5'9" versatile guard from Melbourne, Australia. Also ranked in the top 20 in her class, she has great size and skill with a high basketball IQ and relentless competitiveness. Valenti-Paea has led Australia to a Gold medal in the 3x3 Asia Cup and represented Victoria at the Australian Junior National championships several times.

Coach Jack on Valenti-Paea: "Casey is one of the best kept secrets in Australia. She reminds me a lot of Stephanie Reid. She is a great shooter, has a great feel for the game and is just tough as nails. A lot of people were trying to push her towards the Power 5's but she locked into our history and the direction we are going here in Buffalo and believed that we were the coaching staff that can help her grow her skill set. We are so fortunate to have a kid like Casey and I know she will help propel us to higher heights."

Bone is a 6'0 forward from Chattanooga, Tennessee who currently plays at Silverdale Baptist Academy. She is coming off a stellar junior season in which she averaged a double-double with 21.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while also dishing out 1.6 assists per contest and led the Seahawks to the district championship title for the second straight season. She was named District DII-A Player of the Year and was a finalist for Miss Basketball in the DII-A Division as a junior and earned All-State and All-District team honors as a junior and sophomore. Recently, she was rated one of the top 25 players in the state. Bone excels off the court as well as she is a member of the National Honor Society and the Beta Club.

Coach Jack on Bone: "Laney is an incredible athlete who can run the floor, rebound the ball and has a high IQ and passion for the game. She has made a name for herself in her region and in the state of Tennessee and she really bought into our coaching staff and we are so grateful that she is joining our program."

Wilson is a 5'11" forward from Piscataway, NJ, who is currently playing at Piscataway High School. She can face up on the block, hit the 15' jumper, crashes the boards hard and her 6'5 wingspan will make an impact on defense. Wilson averaged 9.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game as a junior while also recording 57 blocked shots and 20 steals and 14 assists in 26 games. She scored in double figures 15 times and recorded 21 double digit rebounding games and ranked in the top 15 in the state in rebounding with 323 total boards. Wilson led the Lady Chiefs to a 16-10 overall record and a GMCT Championship quarterfinal appearance in 2019-20, while earning All-GMC Red Division First Team honors. Additionally, Wilson helped lead Piscataway to a GMCT Girls Championship as a freshman.

Legette-Jack on Wilson: "Kaelonn is a raw talent and I think her wingspan is really going to help us on the defensive side of the ball. She is a tenacious rebounder and a ferocious student of the game who wants to get better. I think our coaches will not only grow her but she will grow us. She is a hard worker and we are excited to have her."

University at Buffalo Athletics

Women’s Basketball Signs Four to National Letters of Intent

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