SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Shippensburg University head women's basketball coach Kristy Trn has confirmed the recruitment of five student-athletes who have each agreed to attend the university and will suit up for the Raider program during the 2023-24 season.
 
These individuals have signed either national letters of intent (NLIs) or institutional letters expressing their desire to play basketball at Shippensburg.
 
"The Shippensburg University women's basketball coaches are thrilled to welcome these five amazing student-athletes into our program," said Trn. "Each one of these young ladies have demonstrated outstanding abilities and characteristics both on and off the court and we cannot wait to get them integrated with the group as we look to build on last season's NCAA Tournament appearance."
 
The class consists of three guards and two forwards and features three student-athletes from Pennsylvania and two from Maryland.
 
The new recruits will arrive on campus in August and take part in preseason training ahead of the 2023-24 women's basketball season.
 
The recruits are as follows (in alphabetical order):
 
Carly Bennett
Freshman
Oldtown, Maryland/Fort Hill
 
Fort Hill High School: Totaled three varsity letters for the Sentinels under head coach Sarah Bennett…2022 WestMAC Player of the Year…All Area 2022-23…All-City 2022-23…All-WestMAC 2022-23…Averaged 13.5 points and seven rebounds per game as a senior…an accomplished track and field athlete…2022 Maryland State Champion in the discus throw…state runner-up in 2023…ranked seventh in her class with a 4.2 GPA…Principal's Honor Roll…a member of the National Honors Society, National Spanish Honors Society, National Science Honor Society Honor Roll and Rho Kappa.
 
About Bennett: Full name is Carly Catherine Bennett…is the daughter of Jason and Sarah Bennett…a member of the Wood Honors College…majoring in criminal justice…has three sisters: Ryann, Ella and Cassidy…sister Ryann is a thrower at James Madison University…mother Sarah competed in shot put at UMBC.
 
Alexis Buie
Freshman
Harrisburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff
 
Cedar Cliff High School: Totaled three varsity letters for the Colts under head coach Scott Weyant…competed at the club level for the Western Pa. Bruins under Robert Cash…scored 530 points her senior year.
 
About Buie: Full name is Alexis Nicole Buie…is the daughter of Denise Murphy…majoring in biology with a pre-dentistry concentration…is the sibling of Tracy Battle, Tyger Battle, Talor Battle, Taran Buie, Davante Buie, Danielle Buie, Boo Buie, Ashanti Buie and Aminah Murphy…Talor is the all-time leading scorer for the Penn State University Men's Basketball… Boo is a First-Team All-Big Ten point guard at Northwestern.
 
Bella Chimienti
Freshman
York, Pa./Central York
 
Central York High School: Totaled four varsity letters for the Panthers under Scott Wisner and Sean Potts…competed at the club level for Raiders Basketball Academy under Kevin Glover…a four-time York Adams Division 1 All-Star selection, including First Team nods her junior and senior year…a four-time Miss Pa. Basketball nominee…finished with 1,229 points, the third most in program history…maintained a 4.0 GPA…a member of the Distinguished Honor Roll, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, National English Honor Society and Varsity Club…an Optimist Club board member…also competed in volleyball.
 
About Chimienti: Full name is Isabella Sera Chimienti…is the daughter of Cosmo Chimienti and Kim Murray…majoring in early childhood education…has a sister: Sofia, and a brother: Cruz.
 
Mia Johnson
Freshman
Waldorf, Md./St. Charles
 
St. Charles High School: Totaled two varsity letters for the Spartans under coaches Darelle Smith and Matthew Forde…competed at the club level with Elevate Elite S40 17U…a three-time Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) First Team selection…a three-time Washington Post Player of the Week…2023 SMAC All-Star Game MVP…team captain…averaged 23 points per game and led St. Charles to a 23-4 record as a senior…2023 SMAC Champion…a 2023 Maryland Class 3A South Regional Champion…a 2023 Maryland Class 3A State Semifinalist…scored 1,255 career points, including 594 in 2022-23…graduated cum laude…maintained a 3.60 GPA…a member of the National Honor Society and Maryland Scholars…awarded Charles County Certificate of Merit…a President's Award for Educational Excellence recipient.
 
About Johnson: Full name is Mia Alexis Johnson…is the daughter of Mandrell Johnson and Michelle Taylor-Johnson…majoring in art…has two brothers: Mandrell Jr. and Marcell, and a sister: Melanie.
 
MJ Laird
Freshman
Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland
 
Pine-Richland High School: Totaled four varsity letters for the Rams under coaches Tom Reighard and Kyle DeGregorio…competed at the club level for the Western PA Bruins, SLAAM Basketball and Legendz under the tutelage of Cornelious Nesbit, Lee Barlow and Curtis Williams…served as an assistant coach for McGuffey High School girl's basketball team her senior year…an honor roll student…also lettered in track and field.
 
About Laird: Full name is Madelyn James Laird…is the daughter of James and Lori Laird…majoring in exercise science with an allied health pre-professional concentration…has a sister, Kayla.