Tulane Women’s Basketball signs four to 2018-19 class

NEW ORLEANS – Four new student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to join the Green Wave women’s basketball team on Wednesday, Coach Lisa Stockton announced.
 
The four new players hail from three different states, and two of the four are New Orleans natives. Tulane’s newcomers are Erin Gutierrez (Hollywood, Florida), Mia Heide (Austin, Texas), Dynah Jones (New Orleans) and Dene’ Mimms (New Orleans).
 
“We’re really excited about the diversity of the class,” Stockton said. “All of these players have played at a high level, and they’re going to be a great complement to what we have coming back next season.”
 
Erin Gutierrez will be coming to Tulane from Nova High School in Hollywood, Florida. Gutierrez, a 5-foot-9 point guard, is ranked the No. 138 recruit in the country on ProspectsNation.com. She helped her Nova squad to the state regional finals as a freshman and the regional semifinals as a sophomore and junior.
 
Following her junior year, Gutierrez was named a Miami Herald All-Broward County 9A-7A First Team selection after averaging 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. She earned the same award from the Sun-Sentinel newspaper and also earned all-tournament honors at the BCAA Big 8 and Junior Orange Bowl.
 
She will be the second member of the team from the Sunshine State, joining current sophomore Maddison Wells (Winter Park).
 
“Erin garnered lots of attention this July as she led the Nike Miami Suns to a successful summer,” Stockton said. “She is a playmaking guard with good vision and ball-handling skills. She is a savvy 5-foot-9 guard who can score and create for others.”
 
Mia Heide will bring some more height to the roster at 6-foot-5 when she joins the Green Wave from Austin, Texas. Heide plays her prep basketball at Austin High School where she took the Maroons to a regional final for the first time in program history last year.
 
Heide scored 15.2 points per game as a junior while also grabbing 8.1 boards and adding 1.9 blocks per game. She shot 55 percent from the field last year and also earned District 25-5A MVP honors. She is ranked the nation’s No. 36 post player on ESPN.com, and her team won the Adidas Gauntlet National Championship in 2017.
 
Heide will be tied for the tallest player on the Green Wave roster with current junior Ksenija Madzarevic and will be second player on the team from Texas, joining current freshman Sierra Cheatham (Houston).
 
“Mia is a skilled post with an amazing work ethic,” Stockton said. “Her improvement over the past year is impressive and gets us excited about her future.  Mia played well over the summer with Texas’ top Adidas program which matched her up against great competition.”
 
Dynah Jones is a 5-foot-10 guard who won’t have far to travel to join Tulane. Her high school, John Curtis, is just about 10 miles away from Fogelman in Devlin. The New Orleans native is ranked 64th nationally at her position according to Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and led her Patriots to a state championship in her junior year. Jones also earned All-State Honorable Mention from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and a place on the 2016-17 All-Metro Girls Basketball Team from the Times-Picayune.
 
Jones’ high school coach at John Curtis is former Tulane Honorable Mention All-American Barbara Farris.
 
“Dynah has been on our radar since she was very young,” Stockton said. “Each year she has added to her game and is a proven winner leading John Curtis to a state championship last year.  Dynah is a complete player. Her versatility makes her an impressive combo guard.”
 
Also joining the Olive & Blue from New Orleans is Dene’ Mimms. A 6-foot-5 power forward, Mimms plays high school basketball at Warren Easton Charter High in Mid-City New Orleans. She helped Warren Easton to its first ever state championship during her freshman year and is ranked the country’s No. 21 forward according to ESPN. Mimms was named to the ALL-USA Louisiana Girls Basketball Second Team by USA Today and – like Jones – earned a spot on the 2016-17 All-Metro Girls Basketball Team from the Times-Picayune.
 
Jones and Mimms played club basketball for Lady Elfrid Payton Elite coached by Mimms’ father, Darius, who is also the head coach at Warren Easton. They will be the third and fourth members of the Green Wave next year who call Louisiana home, joining current freshmen Kaila Anderson (Kenner) and Krystal Freeman (Pineville).
 
“Dene has great potential to become an impact player in our program,” Stockton said. “Her athleticism, length, and shot-blocking ability will help our defense. She can also score in many different ways.
 
“We’re excited to get great local talent in Dene and Dynah,” Stockton said. “Both have established themselves on a national level.”
 
The 2017-18 edition of the Green Wave will begin their season on Friday when they travel to Maine to take on the Black Bears. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. central.