INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- The West Virginia State University women's basketball team has signed six new players ahead of the 2022-23 season. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a promising season in which their 18 wins was the most by the program since 2013-14.

WVSU added four freshmen and two incoming seniors to its roster this offseason. Three of the new players are guards while the other three will help out in the post at forward and center.

Two of the new players hail from West Virginia. Makayla Smith is 5-8 freshman guard out of Huntington High School while Anysa Jordan is a 6-1 senior forward who played at Fairmont Senior. Jordan spent three seasons at Division I Eastern Kentucky before signing with West Virginia State.

Other recruits from nearby include 6-3 freshman center Jessica Osuanah from Virginia, 5-4 freshman guard Emily Anthony from Pennsylvania and 5-10 senior forward Imani Reid from Maryland. Reid spent three seasons at Division I Bethune-Cookman before joining the Yellow Jackets. 

Rounding out the recruiting class is 5-7 freshman guard Baylor Thomas. She is making the furthest trek to State coming all the way from Marysville, Wash. to join the WVSU backcourt.

Baylor Thomas, 5-7 PG, Freshman, Marysville, Wash.

• HS: Lake Stevens
• AAU: Way to Win Gold
• Accomplishments:
  • Four years on varsity
  • Led team to state tournament her senior year
  • Wesco 4A Player of the Year
  • Washington Herald All-Area First Team
  • Named to the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association Senior Game
• WVSU Coach's Comments:
  • Baylor is a strong, scoring point guard that can get to the basket and hit from deep. She is a competitor with a winner's mentality that will elevate our team's ability to compete at a high-level night in and night out. We can't wait for her to join the WVSU backcourt!

Jessica Osuanah, 6-3 C, Freshman, Tappahannock, Va.

• HS: Patrick Henry
• AAU: Capital City Ballerz
• Accomplishments:
  • 4 years on varsity
  • Named an 804 All-Star her senior year
• WVSU Coach's Comments:
  • Jessica is going to bring an immediate presence in the post. Her footwork and skill set offensively will allow her to dominate inside, while her strength and size will give our opponents issues in the paint. We are very excited to get to work with her and watch her develop!

Emily Anthony, 5-4 PG, Freshman, Hermitage, Pa.

• HS: West Middlesex
• AAU: Drill for Skill
• Accomplishments:
  • 1,198 career points
  • Roundball Classic MVP
  • 2022 District Championship
  • 3 PIAA District Championships, 2x PIAA Sweet 16, PIAA Semifinals, and 1 PIAA Final
• WVSU Coach's Comments:
  • Emily is a high-IQ point guard that sees the floor and makes the right plays. In addition to controlling the tempo on the offensive end, she loves to get after it on the defensive end. Emily is a fierce competitor that we are so excited to get to work with!   

Makayla Smith, 5-8 G, Freshman, Huntington, W.Va.

• HS: Huntington
• AAU: West Virginia Thunder
• Accomplishments:
  • Won the 2022 4A WV State Championship
• WVSU Coach's Comments:
  • Makayla is a local West Virginia native that will bring more depth to our wing position with her strength and athleticism. Makayla just won a state championship with Huntington High School and will bring that winning mentality to WVSU. We are excited for her to be a Yellow Jacket!

Anysa Jordan, 6-1 F, Senior, Fairmont, W.Va.

• HS: Fairmont Senior
• Previous School: Eastern Kentucky
• Accomplishments:
  • See EKU website for HS accomplishments
  • Played three seasons at Eastern Kentucky University
  • Career-high 18 points against Eastern Illinois in 2020-21 season
  • Averaged playing around 14 minutes per game over three-year span
  • Saw action in eight contests in 2021-22 season due to injuries
• WVSU Coach's Comments:
  • Anysa is a highly-skilled forward that is like a Swiss army knife. She can do a little bit of everything on both ends. Having played at the Division I level for the past three years, she will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team. We recruited her out of high school and we are ecstatic that she is finally in the black and gold!

Imani Reid, 5-10 F, Senior, Columbia, Md.

• HS: Hammond
• Previous School: Bethune-Cookman
• Accomplishments:
  • See BCU website for HS accomplishments
  • Played three seasons at Bethune-Cookman University
  • Career-high 15 points against Texas Southern and 10 rebounds versus Edward Waters during 2021-22 season
  • Averaged playing around 20 minutes per game in her last season with the Wildcats
  • Saw action in 18 contests during her freshman year and was sidelined during her sophomore campaign
• WVSU Coach's Comments:
  • Imani is going to bring great size and athleticism that we haven't had. She has versatility to play both on the perimeter and the interior. As another Division I transfer with a few years of experience under her belt, we are looking forward to her bringing that veteran leadership to our squad.