Texans strengthen frontcourt with signing of UNCW transfer Nya Mitchels

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STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton’s recruiting reach and frontcourt prowess are augmenting as the program’s Division I transition continues. 

The latest piece of evidence to support the trend arrived on Tuesday, when head coach Misty Wilson announced the signing of UNC Wilmington transfer Nya Mitchels to a National Letter of Intent. 

Mitchels, a Jacksonville, North Carolina native, becomes the seventh member of Tarleton’s 2021 recruiting class and second frontcourt player the Texans’ have inked. The 6-4 forward has four years to play three seasons at Tarleton. 

“We are thrilled to add Nya Mitchels to our 2021 recruiting class,” Wilson said. ‘Nya was playing in a system that was perimeter oriented at her previous school and we intend to use Nya’s size and skill to our advantage.  During the recruiting process we were impressed with the energy and effort that Nya played with, as well as the physicality that she brought to the paint. 

“Additionally, it is evident that Nya has a true passion for the game of basketball as well as her teammates,” Wilson continued. “Our staff believes that Nya is a great fit for our basketball system as well as the culture that we work diligently to develop in our program.  I look forward to coaching Nya the next three years and witnessing the force she will become in the paint.” 

She spent the past two seasons at UNCW after concluding a four-year prep career at Jacksonville High School. Mitchels played in 18 games and made two starts during the 2020-21 campaign for the Seahawks, averaging 2.3 points and 3 rebounds per game. She scored a career-high eight points vs. Towson on March 4. Mitchels snagged four-or-more rebounds on seven occasions, including a season and career-high eight in a game against Kennesaw State on Dec. 18. 

Mitchels earned a spot in the Seahawks’ rotation as a freshman, as she appeared in 13 games and averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. A psychology major, Mitchels was also the recipient of Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll accolades in 2020. 

An opportunity for Mitchels to play Division I basketball was earned through a decorated prep career. Mitchels was honored as the Coastal 3A Girls Player of the Year as a freshman and was selected to the North Carolina East-West All-Star Game durig her senior year in 2019. She was a three-time All-District selection for JHS and garnered first team recognition as a freshman and senior. Mitchels led JHS to a regional championship as a junior and scored over 1,000 points in her four years of high school ball. 

Mitchels joins fellow frontcourt mate Hannah Matthews and guards Mason Jones, Crystal Smith, Tyler Jackson, Jurnee President and Nikki Petrakovitz as members of Tarleton’s second-ever Division I recruiting class. 

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