Washington Inks Khayla Rooks In Early Signing Period
November 16, 2016 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE -- University of Washington women's basketball head coach Mike Neighbors announced Wednesday (Nov. 16) the signing of Khayla Rooks to a National Letter of Intent to join the Huskies for the 2017-18 academic year. Rooks joins Kierra Collier, who signed last week, in the early signing class.
"We have another Husky who will make our future teams better on the court and continue our excellence off the court in the classroom," said Neighbors. "When our fans see Khayla play, they will quickly see a player that makes everyone on the court better. She has developed a unique skill to see the play-that-leads-to-the-play, as well as being a player who can finish those same plays. A lot of players can do one or the other, but few can do both."
Rooks, a 6-1 forward, is a senior from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif. Last season, she was one of the state's top juniors and the runner-up for CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year. Rooks averaged 20 points per game and led the Grizzlies to the CIFSDS Open Division title game victory over La Jolla Country Day and then a win over Windward in the SoCal Open Division playoffs. For her efforts, she was named First Team All-State by Cal-Hi Sports.
Rooks comes from a basketball family. Her brother, Kameron, is a junior center at Cal and her late father Sean, was a standout at Arizona before spending 12 years in the NBA.
"It's too easy just to say it's because she grew up around basketball," said Neighbors. "It takes incredible work ethic to develop the type of skill-set that she displays. The support of a family of hoopers certainly aids in that, but it's not always a given. She has been coached and trained by people who have pushed her to compete against the very best and she has used every experience to grow. Khayla will be prepared for that freshman transition when she arrives on campus."
Khayla Rooks
6-1 • Forward
San Marcos, Calif. // Mission Hills High School
"We have another Husky who will make our future teams better on the court and continue our excellence off the court in the classroom," said Neighbors. "When our fans see Khayla play, they will quickly see a player that makes everyone on the court better. She has developed a unique skill to see the play-that-leads-to-the-play, as well as being a player who can finish those same plays. A lot of players can do one or the other, but few can do both."
Rooks, a 6-1 forward, is a senior from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif. Last season, she was one of the state's top juniors and the runner-up for CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year. Rooks averaged 20 points per game and led the Grizzlies to the CIFSDS Open Division title game victory over La Jolla Country Day and then a win over Windward in the SoCal Open Division playoffs. For her efforts, she was named First Team All-State by Cal-Hi Sports.
Rooks comes from a basketball family. Her brother, Kameron, is a junior center at Cal and her late father Sean, was a standout at Arizona before spending 12 years in the NBA.
"It's too easy just to say it's because she grew up around basketball," said Neighbors. "It takes incredible work ethic to develop the type of skill-set that she displays. The support of a family of hoopers certainly aids in that, but it's not always a given. She has been coached and trained by people who have pushed her to compete against the very best and she has used every experience to grow. Khayla will be prepared for that freshman transition when she arrives on campus."
Khayla Rooks
6-1 • Forward
San Marcos, Calif. // Mission Hills High School
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