Women’s Basketball Announces 2026 Signing Class
11/12/2025 7:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo women's basketball head coach Kristen Sharkey announced her first signing class on Wednesday. The three-player class, featuring student-athletes from New York, New Jersey and Tennessee, will join the program for the 2026-27 season.
Annabelle Day is a 5'11" guard from North Tonawanda, NY who currently plays for North Tonawanda High School. Day has recorded over 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 300 steals and counting for her career. She is coming off a stellar junior season at North Tonawanda High Schol where she led the Lumberjacks to a Niagara Frontier League championship, averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 5.3 steals, and was named the 2025 NFL Player of the Year and NFL First Team selection while also earning First-Team All-Western New York honors. Prior to her time with North Tonawanda, Day spent two seasons at Cardinal O'Hara where she helped lead the Hawks to a record 37 total wins and back-to-back postseason trips to the final four of the Catholic state tournament and a pair of Monsignor Martin titles, averaging 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals in 49 games. Off the court, Day is a member of the high honor roll.
Sharkey on Day: "Annabelle Day is a hometown talent who can flat-out shoot the ball. She's a high-IQ guard who understands the game at a high level and knows how to break defenses open. We're proud to keep a sharpshooter from Buffalo right here at home and she's going to make a big impact in the blue and white."
Ava LaMonica is a 5'9" point guard from Hillsborough, New Jersey. She has been a standout at Rutgers Preparatory School where she has recorded 800 points, 400 rebounds and over 160 assists and counting to lead the Argonauts to two-straight county championships and three state finals appearances. The two-time Skyland Conference Second Team selection is coming off a solid junior season in which she averaged a career-high 13.4 points per game in her junior season and had 12 games with 15+ points. LaMonica plays AAU ball for Jersey Gemz where she was a multiple-time EYBL standout and first team selection and helped to lead her squad to a 15u EYBL national championship. Off the court, she is an honors student with distinction.
Sharkey on LaMonica: "Ava LaMonica embodies everything it means to be a Bull; tough, relentless and blue collar to her core. She's a fearless competitor who backs down from no one and plays the game with heart and grit. Ava comes from a great family and represents the type of person and player we want in our program. We're thrilled to welcome her to Buffalo."
Natavia Alber is a 6'0" power forward from Sevierville, Kentucky. She is coming off a special junior season in which she broke the Northview Academy single-season rebounding record with 248 boards as well as the single-season field goal percentage record, shooting at a 63% clip, and also recorded season-bests in points (313) and blocks (67), while helping to lead the Cougars to a Class 3A state tournament runner up finish for the first time in program history. Alber averaged nearly two blocks per game in three games at the state tournament, twice posting double-digit rebounding marks, and made the All-Tournament team. Additionally, she was a major contributor on the Kentucky Premier EYBL team.
Sharkey on Alber: Natavia brings length, athleticism and relentless energy to our program. She has a great motor, attacks the glass with purpose and has a natural nose for the ball. Her toughness and presence on both ends of the floor will make an immediate impact for us."
For all the latest on UB women's basketball, follow @UBWomensBasketball on Twitter/X and Instagram and like the UB Women's Basketball Facebook page.
Click here for information on the Blue & White Fund and how you can help UB Athletics.
Annabelle Day is a 5'11" guard from North Tonawanda, NY who currently plays for North Tonawanda High School. Day has recorded over 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 300 steals and counting for her career. She is coming off a stellar junior season at North Tonawanda High Schol where she led the Lumberjacks to a Niagara Frontier League championship, averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 5.3 steals, and was named the 2025 NFL Player of the Year and NFL First Team selection while also earning First-Team All-Western New York honors. Prior to her time with North Tonawanda, Day spent two seasons at Cardinal O'Hara where she helped lead the Hawks to a record 37 total wins and back-to-back postseason trips to the final four of the Catholic state tournament and a pair of Monsignor Martin titles, averaging 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals in 49 games. Off the court, Day is a member of the high honor roll.
Sharkey on Day: "Annabelle Day is a hometown talent who can flat-out shoot the ball. She's a high-IQ guard who understands the game at a high level and knows how to break defenses open. We're proud to keep a sharpshooter from Buffalo right here at home and she's going to make a big impact in the blue and white."
Ava LaMonica is a 5'9" point guard from Hillsborough, New Jersey. She has been a standout at Rutgers Preparatory School where she has recorded 800 points, 400 rebounds and over 160 assists and counting to lead the Argonauts to two-straight county championships and three state finals appearances. The two-time Skyland Conference Second Team selection is coming off a solid junior season in which she averaged a career-high 13.4 points per game in her junior season and had 12 games with 15+ points. LaMonica plays AAU ball for Jersey Gemz where she was a multiple-time EYBL standout and first team selection and helped to lead her squad to a 15u EYBL national championship. Off the court, she is an honors student with distinction.
Sharkey on LaMonica: "Ava LaMonica embodies everything it means to be a Bull; tough, relentless and blue collar to her core. She's a fearless competitor who backs down from no one and plays the game with heart and grit. Ava comes from a great family and represents the type of person and player we want in our program. We're thrilled to welcome her to Buffalo."
Natavia Alber is a 6'0" power forward from Sevierville, Kentucky. She is coming off a special junior season in which she broke the Northview Academy single-season rebounding record with 248 boards as well as the single-season field goal percentage record, shooting at a 63% clip, and also recorded season-bests in points (313) and blocks (67), while helping to lead the Cougars to a Class 3A state tournament runner up finish for the first time in program history. Alber averaged nearly two blocks per game in three games at the state tournament, twice posting double-digit rebounding marks, and made the All-Tournament team. Additionally, she was a major contributor on the Kentucky Premier EYBL team.
Sharkey on Alber: Natavia brings length, athleticism and relentless energy to our program. She has a great motor, attacks the glass with purpose and has a natural nose for the ball. Her toughness and presence on both ends of the floor will make an immediate impact for us."
For all the latest on UB women's basketball, follow @UBWomensBasketball on Twitter/X and Instagram and like the UB Women's Basketball Facebook page.
Click here for information on the Blue & White Fund and how you can help UB Athletics.
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