BALTIMORE – Eight newcomers, including six transfers and a pair of freshmen, have committed to play for Coppin State's women's basketball team during the 2023-24 season, it was announced by head coach
Jermaine Woods on Thursday morning.
Making up the class are
Faith Blackstone (Harrisburg, Pa.),
Laila Lawrence (Lewisville, Texas),
Tyler Gray (Bladensburg, Md.),
Tiffany Hammond (Trenton, N.J.),
Angel Jones (Alexandria, Va.),
Cassandra Hawthorne (Hartford, Conn.),
Niyah Gaston (Suffolk, Va.) and
Madyson Burney (Orlando, Fla.).
Blackstone, Gray, Hammond and Hawthorne were all teammates at CCBC Essex after playing at Division I institutions and led the Knights to an NJCAA National Championship last season while Jones and Lawrence come to Coppin after playing at Siena and Texas A&M-Commerce, respectively. Burney and Gaston enter the West Baltimore campus as true freshman.
"I am extremely excited about this recruiting class and I feel that we strategically filled in our areas of need," said Woods. "First and foremost, all eight are exceptional people and students. We have a great mixture of experience and youth and they all should be able to contribute immediately. Each of the incoming players are used to winning and will help us reach our goal of being at the top of the MEAC."
Faith Blackstone
Redshirt Junior | Guard | 6-0
Harrisburg, Pa. / Hillside HS
Previous Schools: Syracuse, North Carolina A&T, CCBC Essex
Blackstone was named the NJCAA National Player of the Year and a First Team All-American after averaging 19.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.4 steals. She shot 43.5% from the field and over 34 percent from 3-point range while notching seven double-doubles, including a 27-point, ten rebound performance in the National Championship Game against Richard Bland College. She started her collegiate career at Syracuse during the 2020-21 season and averaged 2.3 points in six games before putting up 5.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 22 games the following year at North Carolina A&T.
Woods on Blackstone: "Faith is a unicorn who can play four positions and can excel at all of them. I recruited Faith when she was in high school, so this is a full circle moment for us both. She was highly recruited out of high school and junior college and she adds instant shooting and scoring. Her ability to play off the catch, and off the dribble, will bolster our offense tremendously."
Laila Lawrence
Junior | Forward | 6-1
Lewisville, Texas / Lewisville HS
Previous School: Texas A&M – Commerce
A post-presence and rim protecter, Lawrence played in all 65 games the last two seasons at Texas A&M – Commerce. Lawrence was the Lone Star Conference Sixth Woman of the Year as a freshman, averaging 9.4 points and 4.9 rebounds while also earning Third Team All-LSC and All-Freshman Team honors. This past season, the school's first as a Division I member, Lawrence upped her production to 12.2 points while leading the Lions with 7.4 rebounds and 30 blocked shots while adding 55 assists and 26 steals.
Woods on Lawrence: "Laila brings a skill set from the forward position that we haven't had in my tenure at Coppin. She has the ability to pass, dribble and shoot from the post position. She brings a much needed inside presence and will be a force on the boards. She has the physical ability to be a major factor at both ends of the court."
Tyler Gray
Redshirt Junior | Guard | 5-6
Bladensburg, Md. / Elizabeth Seton HS
Previous Schools: College of Charleston, CCBC Essex
A Second Team NJCAA All-American at CCBC Essex, Gray stuffed the stat sheet all season and averaged 8.7 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 steals for the Knights. Posting a triple double midway through the season, Grey led all players with a season-high 29 points with eight rebounds in the National Championship Game against Richard Bland. Gray played two seasons at College of Charleston, recording 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds with 31 assists in 15 games as a freshman before seeing limited action during the 2021-22 season.
Woods on Gray: "Tyler brings us much needed experience at the point guard position. She is a pass-first point guard but can score when needed. Her leadership skills and knowing her teammate's strengths and weaknesses are part of the reason she was an NJCAA All-American."
Tiffany Hammond
Redshirt Junior | Guard | 5-9
Trenton, N.J / Life Center Academy
Previous Schools: Sacred Heart, CCBC Essex
Hammond put up ten points along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game during CCBC Essex' National Championship run last season, recording at least 20 points in three contests. She played the previous two seasons at Sacred Heart, recording 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds as a freshman before playing in just nine games the follow year.
Woods on Hammond: "TK will be one of the best shooters in our conference. She is a two-way player and will be a valuable contributor at both ends of the court. She can score at two levels right now and will add the third level. Her ceiling is extremely high and I look forward to helping her reach her full potential."
Angel Jones
Sophomore | Guard | 5-4
Alexandria, Va. / Forest Park HS
Previous School: Siena
A DMV native who was an All-State and Washington Post All-Met selection as a senior at Forest Park High School, Jones played this past season at Siena, where she put up 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and nearly a steal per game while making six starts. Jones scored in double figures four times, including a season-high 14 points against New Hampshire while scoring 12 points in a MAAC Tournament win over Fairfield. She also recorded a season-high seven rebounds at Mount St. Mary's, seven assists against Dartmouth and three steals in a pair of games.
Woods on Jones: "Angel comes to us as one of the most decorated players in the DMV out of high school. She is a scoring guard who can play on or off the ball. Her speed and ability to play off the dribble will open the court for our shooters."
Cassandra Hawthorne
Redshirt Junior | Guard | 5-11
Hartford, Conn. / Loomis Chaffee HS
Previous Schools: Merrimack, CCBC Essex
An All-Region selection this past season at CCBC Essex, Hawthorne, recorded 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds along with an assist per game. Hawthorne reached double figures in 19 games, including a 17-point effort in the National Quarterfinals. She also played the previous year at CCBC Essex after starting her collegiate career at Merrimack during the 2020-21 season.
Woods on Hawthorne: "Cassie brings the versatility that we need to run our offense. She can stretch the floor with her shooting, and her ability to rebound at a high level fills an area of need."
Niyah Gaston
Freshman | Guard | 5-10
Suffolk, Va. / King's Fork HS
A two-time 4A All-State selection, Gaston averaged 17 points, five rebounds and four steals as a senior while also receiving First Team All-Region and Second Team All-Tidewater honors. Gaston helped King's Fork to a State Title as a junior, receiving All-State, All-Region and All-Tidewater accolades, and earned All-Region recognition as a freshman.
Woods on Gaston: "Niyah is an elite shooter with great size. She plays extremely hard at both ends of the floor and rebounds well."
Madyson Burney
Freshman | Guard | 5-7
Orlando, Fla. / East River HS
Coming from East River High School in Orlando, by way of Waldorf, Md., where she played most of her high school career, Burney is a great student and was a First Team All-Metro selection as a senior. Named her team's most outstanding player, Burney was named the MaxPreps Player of the Game 11 times in her final season. Burney is a member of the National Honor Society and NSHSS Collegiate Council.
Woods on Burney: "Mady is a tough, fast hard-nosed player who likes to push the ball and get others involved."
