The Troy Trojans women’s basketball program’s 2022 signing class of newcomers fills a number of holes the Trojans had following the 2021-2022 season.

Troy has signed four junior college transfers, a center from Coastal Carolina, a former Alabama guard and a top high school prospect in this class.

Back in November of 2021, Troy coach Chanda Rigby landed a pair of junior college transfers in the early signing period. Those players included Pensacola State forward Tai’Sheka Porchia, Georgia Highlands College guard Jashanti Simmons and St. Petersburg College forward Mesi Triplett.

Jashanti Simmons was one of the top JUCO players in the country this past season. (Submitted photo)

Both Simmons and Porchia earned Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Two-Year College Coaches’ All-America honors. Simmons was also named the WBCA Two-Year College Player of the Year, as well. Simmons helped guide Georgia Highlands to the NJCAA National Championship game and was also named Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Player of the Year. Additionally, the Eatonton, GA native scored a total of 1,541 points in just three years in high school. Simmons averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 steals, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this past season.

Porchia also earned First-Team All-Panhandle Conference honors as she averaged 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounders per game last season. The Camden, Ark. native was an all-state player at Camden Fairview High School. Porchia brings her 6-foot-1-inch frame to Troy’s low-post game.

Triplett earned All-Central Conference honors this past season after averaging 10 points, 4.6 rebounds and one assist per game. The Orlando, Fla. star led West Oak Academy to a Florida SIAA Championship and averaged an eye-popping 5.4 blocks and 9.4 rebounds per game as a senior in high school. Triplett stands at 6-foot-3-inches, bringing another big frame to the low post for Troy.

In April, Troy added Fairfield High School senior Shaniah Nunn as the lone incoming freshman in this

Troy signed Fairfield star Shaniah Nunn. (Photo courtesy of Troy University Athletics)

class. The Birmingham native earned All-State honors twice along with being a four-time All-Region and five-time All-Area selection. She was also a 2020 Class 5A Player of the Year finalist. Nunn averaged 21 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a senior and scored a total of 3,500 points in her high school career along with grabbing 1,500 total rebounds. She was named the North MVP in the AHSAA North-South All-Star Game as a junior, as well.

Troy also added Uganda native Jamila Nansikombi-Gunter to the roster as another JUCO transfer. Nansikombi-Gunter comes to Troy from Moberly Community College and will become just the second Ugandan native to ever play Division I basketball. The 5-foot-11-inch guard earned All-Region honors this past season averaging 12 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. She was also a sharpshooter, knocking down 35 percent of her three-point attempts on the season.

Troy also added former Alabama guard Nia Daniel in June. In 16 games for the Crimson Tide last

Troy landed Alabama transfer Nia Daniel this week. (Photo courtesy of Troy University Athletics)

season, Daniel scored 51 points and grabbed 24 rebounds. The Charlotte, NC native came to Alabama following a season at Gulf Coast State as one of the top players in JUCO basketball. She averaged 23.4 points per game in her season at Gulf Coast State. She earned 2021 Panhandle Player of the Year and was named to the All-Panhandle Team, NJCAA All-American and WBCA All-American.

Troy’s biggest signing, literally, came when 6-foot-6-inch center Janeen Camp transferred from Coastal Carolina. The Portsmouth, VA native averaged 6.8 points and 6.7 rebounds for Coastal Carolina last season and gives Troy a true presence in the low post. Camp started her college career at Towson, earning Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie honors as a freshman before transferring to Coastal Carolina.

With the additions of Camp, Triplett and Porchia to the roster, Rigby has added size to a roster that struggled in the post this past season. Analysis of Troy’s recruiting class could also be extended to the coaching staff as Rigby brought in a big name in women’s basketball with former WNBA No. 5 overall draft pick Chelsea Dungee being named as an assistant coach.

Dungee was an All-American and All-SEC guard at Arkansas and one of the top players in the entire country. The Sapulpa, Okla. native set a number of records during her Arkansas career and also led Team USA to the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship, as well. Dungee played for one season with the Dallas Wings in the WNBA.