McCray-Penson Announces Women’s Hoops 2021 Signing Class

STARKVILLE – In her first class as the head coach of Mississippi State women's basketball, Nikki McCray-Penson and her staff inked some of the nation's top players for the 2021 signing class.

"We are really excited about our signing class," said McCray-Penson. "We have signed some talented players. What we have on the table is really good, especially with our staff coming in late. I am excited about how dynamic our class is and how they are going to add to the talent we already have at Mississippi State. I am really looking forward to them joining the Bulldog family."

The class is highlighted by three top-100 prospects, including four-star guard KN'isha Godfrey, who plays at one of the top high schools in the country. The Bulldogs also signed do-it-all guard Mia Moore, who recorded a quadruple-double as a sophomore, along with Jasmine Shavers, who was coached by former NBA star Jason Terry. State closed out the early signing period by adding athletic forward Denae Carter.

Denae Carter – Small Forward, 6-0, Philadelphia, Pa. (St. Basil Academy)

Denae Carter is an athletic guard/forward that plays well on both ends of the floor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"I am really about our late pickup in Denae," said McCray-Penson. "I have known her for a long time. She is a blue-collar player with good length and size. She can play multiple positions. She is an aggressive player with a high motor that can attack the glass, rebound and start an offense. She is aggressive player on both ends of the floor. I like the fact that she has that motor and is a blue-collar player. That is something that all successful programs need, and that's the type of player that helped hang banners in Humphrey Coliseum."

Carter is coming off a junior campaign that saw her average 16.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals, 2.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. She led St. Basil Academy to the state playoffs and a 24-3 record, and she was tabbed to the 2020 Pa. Sportswriters' Class 3A All-State second team and was named the ACAA League MVP.

As a sophomore, Carter posted 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.3 assists and 2.2 blocks per game. She averaged 10.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game during her freshman season. She has led her squad to three-straight ACAA League championships and three-straight 3A District 1 championships during her time at St. Basil Academy.

"I am extremely excited to become a part of the Mississippi State women's basketball program," said Carter. "My mission is to contribute to their competitive mindset and help secure an SEC Championship. Coach McCray-Penson is a WNBA All-Star and gold medalist who brings hard work, passion and excitement to the game. Her winning nature offers an enormous amount of experience, and it would be an honor to learn from such an accomplished player and coach.

"My style of play is very free flowing and fundamentally sound. When first introduced to basketball, I was the tallest on the team, which helped me learn to become aggressive in the post. I enhanced my court vision in middle school by playing point guard on an all-boys team. Throughout high school, I have advanced my game to an attack downward and create style of play. My speed impacts both ends of the floor. Offensively, my advantage is a quick first step, and defensively, it allows me to recover and remain active. Defense is a strong suit of my game, as I love to use my length to control the pace of my opponent. As they say, defense wins championships. My aggressiveness and competitiveness are my motivation to giving 100 percent within each play."

KN'isha Godfrey – Guard, 5-9, Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Technical High School)

A three-time player of the year out of Tampa Bay Tech High School, KN'isha Godfrey is ranked the No. 40 player in the country and the eight-ranked point guard by espnW.

"KN'isha is a very versatile, dynamic combo guard," said McCray-Penson. "She reminds me a lot of myself. She plays hard on both ends of the floor. She is strong and physical. She can shoot the ball and defend. She understands what it takes to win. She hates to lose. I am really looking forward to what she will bring to the table."

As a junior, Godfrey averaged 12.1 points, 3.8 steals, 3.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game. During her sophomore campaign, she helped lead Tampa Bay Tech to the Florida 8A title, the first-ever state championship for the program. She averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game during the season.

Godfrey posted 12.7 points, 2.5 steals, 2.2 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. During her career, she's led her team to three district titles, two regional championships, two final four appearances in the playoffs and one state championship.

"I am extremely excited to be a part of this program," said Godfrey. "I chose Mississippi State because of my connection with Nicki McCray-Penson and her staff. I would describe my style of play as a defensive-minded guard who enjoys pushing the tempo in transition and will do whatever is necessary to win. I would like to thank God and my family for guiding me and supporting me through everything."

Mia Moore – Guard, 5-6, Alpharetta, Ga. (St. Francis High School)

Ranked as the No. 52 player in the country by Prospect Nation, Mia Moore enters her senior season as a four-star guard from St. Francis High School in Alpharetta, Georgia.

"Mia is from a private school in Atlanta that is always ranked nationally," said McCray-Penson. "She is a combo guard that is really athletic and brings a tenacity on defense. When I think about her, she is someone you can bring into the game that has the ability to completely change the game. She has a burst to the basket and can shoot the ball."

Moore was tabbed GACA Class 1A North All-State as a junior after averaging 13.7 points, 4.3 steals, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. During her sophomore campaign, the do-it-all guard posted 14.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 4.9 assists per game, earning AJC Second Team Class A-Private All-State honors. She led her team to a state championship appearance that season and also recorded the first quadruple-double in St. Francis history.

As a freshman, Moore averaged 9.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 3.4 assists per game. During her high school career, she's led her team to three-straight region championships.

"Being able to sign with Mississippi State is a dream come true," said Moore. "I can finally say that I have conquered my dream. Being able to have the opportunity to play under a woman like Coach McCray-Penson is an offer I could not refuse. I know that my ability of being able to get to the basket, having a great IQ on the floor and being able to make plays for the team will lead me to be successful there, especially since I will be playing with very talented players and getting coached by the best."

Jasmine Shavers – Guard, 5-9, Mesquite, Texas (Dr. John Horn High School)

Rated as the No. 55 player in the country by espnW, Jasmine "Jazz" Shavers is a four-star guard from Mesquite, Texas. She was named the Dallas Morning News No. 1 area recruit for the class of 2021.

"We were very fortunate to get a player like Jasmine with us coming in so late," said McCray-Penson. "She learned a lot from Jason Terry. She can shoot the ball. She is strong and dynamite shooter. She poses a lot of mismatches with her size. She has a great mind and understands how to win and be a competitor."

A four-year starter at Dr. John Horn High School, Shavers is a three-time All-District honoree. As a junior, she was named the District 11-6A Offensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the TGCA All-State Team after averaging 18.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.3 assists per game.

"I love Coach McCray-Penson's energy and passion for women's basketball," said Shavers. "In her career, she has accomplished all of things that I have outlined as some of my goals that I want to achieve. More importantly, she is family oriented. Prior to my commitment, we built a great relationship during the recruiting process. I know I made the right choice. For my style of play, I'm an aggressive guard who plays both ends of the floor. I like to push tempo on offense, and I take pride in my ability to defend."

Shavers led the Lady Jags to three-straight playoff appearances and helped her team win a share of the district title as a freshman and sophomore. During her sophomore campaign, she averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.3 assists per game. She posted 7.8 points per game as a freshman.

On the AAU circuit, Shavers played for the Lady Drive Nation 17u EYBL. Her team was coached by former NBA star Jason Terry and Edwina Brown.

"I'm so excited to attend Mississippi State University and become part of the Bulldog family," said Shavers. "Mississippi State is an excellent university that will help me to achieve my career goals. In addition to that, Mississippi State is also a premier university for women's basketball. The Bulldogs play in the SEC, which is the toughest conference in America. When you take all that into consideration, it was an easy choice for me."

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