TOLEDO, Ohio - The University of Toledo women's basketball program has inked five recruits to National Letters of Intent for the 2019-20 season, three-time Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year Tricia Cullop announced on Wednesday.

The signees are Soleil Barnes (Southfield, Mich. - Southfield A&T), Yani Curry (Cottleville, Mo. - Francis Howell Central), Mali Morgan-Elliott (Dayton, Ohio - Fairmont), Quinesha Lockett (Omaha, Neb. - Benson) and Sophia Wiard (Muskegon, Mich., - Oakridge).

"Our staff has been very intentional to recruit student-athletes with high values and character, strong academic ability and players who can help us challenge for a league title," Cullop said. "All of these five signees are outstanding people, players and teammates. They really fit our Toledo culture, and I look forward to coaching all of them."

A 5-foot-8 guard, Barnes tallied 14.5 points, 6.2 boards, 3.8 helpers and 3.2 thefts per contest as a junior team captain at Nordonia High School, en route to garnering honorable mention all-state recognition. A three-year starter, she also earned first-team all-conference and second-team all-district laurels and was tabbed her team's Offensive and Defensive MVP for the second-consecutive year.



"Soleil is a combo guard who will stretch defenses with her uncanny shooting ability," Cullop said. "She has strong handles and passes the ball well, but what we need most from her is her shooting ability. I love her deep range and quick release. She loves the game and is willing to put in the work to improve."

Added Southfield A&T Head Coach Michele Marshall, "Soleil is a talented basketball player who works extremely hard in every aspect of the game. We are blessed and privileged to have such a special student-athlete represent our school and program."

A 5-foot-9 guard, Curry contributed 12.6 points, 5.2 caroms, 1.9 dimes and 2.6 steals per game as a junior at Francis Howell High School, en route to garnering Conference and District Player of the Year honors. A three-time Academic All-League recipient, Curry helped lead her team to sectional, district and league division titles. She connected on 45.7 percent (147-of-322) from the floor and 53.8 percent (71-of-132) from the free throw line. 



"Yani is a versatile wing or power forward," Cullop said. "I love her motor. She really gives everything she's got when she's on the court. Yaniah's a tenacious defender and rebounder. She can handle the ball well and is very skilled offensively. Not only can Yaniah drive well to the basket, but she also has three-point range."

Added Francis Howell Central High School Head Coach Hayley Leake, "Yani is very dynamic on both ends of the floor and brings great size and quickness to the wing position. She can score in a variety of ways, especially driving to the rim with authority. Her court awareness, rebounding ability and skill of attacking off the bounce makes her such a versatile player. Yani embodies everything you want in a student-athlete. She is a tremendous basketball player, an outstanding student and heavily involved in the community."

A 5-foot-11 forward, Morgan-Elliott averaged 10.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game as a junior team captain at Fairmont High School, en route to earning second-team all-league and honorable mention all-district accolades. She shot 48.5 percent (100-of-206) from the field, including 39.3 percent (33-of-84) from three-point land and 63.5 percent (47-of-74) from the charity stripe. Morgan-Elliott scored in double figures on 17 occasions, including a season-high 21 points against Lebanon.



"Mali is a versatile stretch four," Cullop said. "She has impressive range, a quick release and can really pass the ball. She's a strong rebounder who runs the floor well, can handle the ball and drives hard to the basket. Mali's always in the gym working on her game, and I love her competitiveness." 

Added Fairmont Head Coach Jeremy Finn, "Mali is a tenacious basketball player who plays at a high level on both sides of the floor. She is a leader and her energy is contagious to everyone around her.  Mali demonstrates what a true and talented basketball player could look like with hard work and dedication. Mali is an ultimate competitor."

"It has been a pleasure to coach and mentor Mali," said former Wayne High School Head Coach and current Ohio Valley University Head Coach Sonya Miller. "She has a unique ability to be the toughest player on the court, yet carry and conduct herself like a  "lady" off the court. Classy is what I call it. Mali is the standard that I recruit to today."

A 5-foot-9 guard, Lockett averaged 19 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.1 assists and 1 block per game as a junior at Omaha Benson High School. A three-year starter, she earned second-team all-state recognition on the hardwood for her efforts. An outstanding track & field performer as well, Lockett finished second in the state in the triple jump as a junior and broke the school record each of the last three years. 



"Quinesha is a wing who has impressive athleticism," Cullop said. "She can defend multiple positions, rebound out of her area and block shots. We love her speed and quickness. Quinesha's hard to catch in transition, drives well to the basket and can help us extend defenses with her range. She will bring toughness on both ends of the floor."

Added Benson High School Head Coach Finis Jones, "I've had Quiniesha since she was a sixth grader and she came to me as a pretty quiet yet very intelligent girl, but with zero experience. She was very intrigued by the game of basketball and eager to learn all about it. I knew right away she had it in her to be great and over the first year or so it started to come out of her. It wasn't until about eighth grade when she really started to come out of her shell. Being a leader, stepping up when the team needed her and setting good examples for those around her. It was great to see her grow. Once she hit high school she just got even better. "Q" has been through more than most kids off the court as well and the one thing that is constant for her is basketball. It's the one thing she has control of. Quinesha is meant to be on that court, and I'm honored to have been a part of her journey."

A 5-foot-9 guard, Wiard averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.2 steals per game as a junior at Oakridge High School. For her efforts, she was named to the Class B all-state first team by a media panel for the Associated Press. The Muskegon Chronicle Player of the Year paced her squad in scoring, rebounding, steals and assists and led them to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1991. Wiard and her high school enter the upcoming season in the midst of a 78-game conference winning streak. 



"Sophia is a point guard who has outstanding ball handling skills, vision and the ability to score the ball in a variety of ways," Cullop said. "She's a fierce competitor who possesses a relentless work ethic and high basketball IQ. Sophia's a leader and a winner."

Added Oakridge High School Head Coach Terry DeJonge, "Sophia has been my assistant coach on the floor since she was a freshman. To have your smartest player, your hardest worker, and your most skilled player completely on the same page has made the last three years very memorable. The best thing about Sophia is her great personality and ability to be the leader and take charge. With a 3.9+ GPA and a work ethic that is second to none, Toledo recruited a real gem and will love her in their basketball program and having her on campus."

Cullop and the Rockets (1-1) will return to the hardwood on Sunday, Nov. 18 when they host Duquesne. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Savage Arena.