April 23, 2002

2002-03 Otahkian Basketball Roster
First Five Signees of Spring Signing Period
Yashika Sidbury is Sixth Recruit of Spring Period

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri women's basketball coach B.J. Smith has announced the signing of Natasha Starkes to a national letter of intent for the 2002-03 basketball season. Starkes is the seventh player to sign with the Otahkians in the Spring signing period and joins her former junior college teammate Yashika Sibury, who signed last week with Southeast, on the 2002-03 Otahkian roster.

Starkes, a 5'7 guard, averaged 9.7 points, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 41.0% from three-point range and 43.0% from the field for coach Michael Landers at Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College last season. Her team was an impressive 32-3, Region 14 Champions and finished seventh place at the NJCAA National Tournament.

As a freshman, Starkes averaged 9.0 points and 5.1 assists per contest for a team that finished 28-4 and were regional finalists.

Trinity Valley is a very successful junior college program, having won national championships in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1999 and currently has four former players playing in the WNBA.

"Natasha is a very explosive offensive player," Coach Smith said. "She brings a lot offensively to our team. And once again she is the type of player that has won 60-plus games in the past two years and brings in that successful attitude that it is going to happen (be successful) here. She is very good offensively and is the type of player that on any given night can lift up a team and carry it by herself."

Starkes, who is originally from Richmond, Va., joins Sarah Costello, Louise McGoldrick, Brandi Russia, Miah Lee Shelford, Yashika Sidbury and Carina Souza as the other signees for next season for Southeast Missouri and first-year head coach B.J. Smith.

Coach Smith expects one more signing before the end of the national signing period.