TOLEDO, Ohio - University of Toledo women's basketball coach Tricia Cullop announced on Saturday the addition of Nakiah Black (Concord, N.C. - Forest Trail Academy/Tallahassee Community College). Black becomes the fifth newcomer to join the Rockets' program in the fall of 2018 and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

"We're extremely excited to have Nakiah join our program," Cullop said. "She's a talented guard who can play multiple positions. Nakiah has three-point range, the quickness to get to the basket and the strength to post up. She's also a terrific defender and a proven winner. In addition to being a talented basketball player, Nakiah is a great person with outstanding leadership ability." 

Black joins 6-foot-3 center Ariel Cummings (Toledo, Ohio - Notre Dame Academy), 5-foot-5 guard Sophia Fortner (Wadsworth, Ohio - Wadsworth), 5-foot-5 guard Jaela Johnson (Louisville, Ky. - DuPont Manual High School) and 6-foot-1 forward Lexi Lance (Wadsworth, Ohio - Wadsworth) as part of UT's 2018-19 incoming class.

A 5-foot-10 guard, Black averaged 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a team-high 3.7 steals in 30 games at Tallahassee Community College in 2017-18, helping the Eagles post a 29-6 overall record and claim the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Championship. She shot 43.4 percent (144-of-332) from the field, including 31.2 percent (48-of-154) from three-point land, and 78.6 percent (88-of-112) from the charity stripe in a squad-best 27.1 minutes per contest. Black scored in double figures on 21 occasions during the year, including a season-high 31 points against Western Nebraska Community College on March 20.

Black played her best basketball at the end of the year and scored at least 11 points in each of the final 10 games, en route to garnering 2017-18 NJCAA Championship All-Tournament Team recognition.

A member of TCC's Honor List for the Fall 2017 semester, she contributed an impressive 17.7 points per game during her team's championship run.

"Nakiah signing to UT is a big achievement for the work that she has put in," Tallahassee Community College Head Coach Franqua Bedell said. "The leadership, commitment, and level of professionalism that she brought daily was an essential component to the success of our program. Nakiah's character, work ethic, and toughness were validated by winning the 2018 Junior College National Championship. She truly left her mark on our program, and I'm confident she will do the same for the University of Toledo."

Black and the Rockets open the 2018-19 season at Maine on Saturday, Nov. 10. For season tickets, go to utrockets.com, call (419) 530-GOLD (4653) or stop by the UT Athletic Ticket Office at Savage Arena.