USF head women's basketball coach Molly Goodenbour announced the signing of Veronica Preciado, Shannon Powell and Kaily Kaimikaua to national letters of intent. The trio joins Australian post Bec Black, who signed in the fall, as the newcomers slated to enroll at USF for the 2017-18 year.
 
Preciado was a sophomore guard at Eastern Arizona College this past season, where she earned second team NJCAA All-America honors after averaging 18.2 points per game over 31 contests, which was the third-best in the conference. Preciado led the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference at 42.9 percent from three-point range and 87.9 percent from the free throw line.
 
The 5-7 guard earned ACCAC Player of the Week honors on five occasions this past season in helping lead the Gila Monsters to a 20-11 record, including a 17-6 mark in ACCAC play that put them in third place.
 
"Veronica is a versatile guard with proven scoring ability at the collegiate level," Goodenbour said. "She averaged 18.2 points per game and led the conference in three-point shooting at Eastern Arizona. She is tough, competitive and a hard-worker. She will fit very well into our system and we expect her to contribute immediately."
 
Powell, a 5-6 guard, transfers to USF after spending the 2016-17 season at Cochise College, where she competed against Preciado and helped lead the Apaches to a 28-4 record, the best in program history.
 
Powell, who prepped at Bel Air High School in El Paso, Texas, earned second team All-ACCAC and second team All-Region 1 honors this past season after averaging 10.5 points per game and shooting 48.9 percent from the field. Powell also posted averages of 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest, while connecting at a 35.4 percent clip from the perimeter.
 
She tallied a season-high of 21 points on two occasions this past season as she helped Cochise remain ranked among the national top-25 all year and earn a top-16 national finish.
 
Off the court, Powell was named to the Dean's List.    
 
"Shannon is a tough, reliable, hard-working guard who makes everyone on her team better," Goodenbour said. "She does all the little things on the court that make a big difference in terms of winning or losing. Her coach at Cochise College, Laura Hughes, credits her with being the most important piece of their successful season that included a 28-4 record, Region 1 Championship and a victory in the NJCAA national tournament. She is an intelligent player and we look forward to getting her on the court with us."
 
Kaily Kaimikaua is a versatile 5-9 guard who prepped at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada. One of the top prep players in the state of Nevada, Kaimikaua earned third-team All-State honors as a senior and first team All-Southeast League recognition after averaging 13.5 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals. Kaimikaua averaged 8.4 points while going 23-for-36 from the perimeter during her junior campaign in helping lead Liberty to a 26-4 record and a No. 3 ranking in the state. 
 
"We are very excited to be able to sign a guard like Kaily who can play both point guard and wing spots," Goodenbour said. "She is a great shooter, excellent passer and has a really high basketball IQ. She is excited to get on campus and start her career and we are hopeful she will quickly develop into a solid and dependable player for us."
 
The Dons are coming off a season in which they finished 18-13 overall and 11-7 in WCC play, finishing in fourth place and marking the first time since 1996-97 that they posted a double-digit win total in conference play.