NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball program and head coach Barb Smith signed three players to National Letters of Intent, as announced Tuesday. Brechelle Beachum, Viria Livingston and Millie Stevens signed on to continue their athletic and academic careers at Illinois State.
Beachum and Livingston were recruited as guards, while Stevens will join the team as a forward. The three recruits will look to make a big impact on the Redbird roster next season.
"All three players will add versatility, ball handling, scoring, physical play and toughness to our team," Smith said. "I love the work ethic of this group, and I can't wait to get them here and begin working with them."
Brechelle Beachum // Guard // 5-8 // Mexia, Texas // Western Texas College // Mexia High School
Notable: She averaged 19.0 points per game over the last 12 games of the 2014-15 season, leading the team to post season play … in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Regional Tournament , she scored 37 points, while also posting nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals against Collin County College … she led Western Texas College to the championship game … averaged 12.5 points per game as a freshman and 14.0 as a sophomore … connected on 78 percent of her free throw attempts as a sophomore … was named a conference honorable-mention selection as a freshman and a first-team honoree as a sophomore.
Coach Smith on Beachum: "Brechelle is a physical guard, who has an explosive first step and can power herself to the rim. She works extremely hard and was instrumental in the very successful run of Western Texas College this past season. Brechelle and her team lost in the championship game of the regional, just one game away from the NJCAA National Championship. Brechelle was described by her coach as the glue to the team. She is a leader and a worker, and we are thrilled to have her joining the Redbird women's basketball team."
Viria Livingston // Guard // 5-6 // Minnetonka, Minn. // Hopkins High School
Notable: A three-time state champion with Hopkins High School (2012, 2013, 2015) … named the 2011 Hopkins Most Valuable Player, as well as the team's defensive player of the year and offensive player of the year … named to the 2015 All-State Tournament Team … played in 27 games as a senior, averaging 6.8 points per game to go along with 4.9 rebounds per game … she also dished out 1.4 assists per game and 2.2 steals per game as a senior … for her career, she averaged six points per game over 90 contests.
Coach Smith on Livingston: "Viria is a versatile guard, who plays with a lot of heart and a lot of tenacity. She comes from the storied Hopkins High School in Minnesota and just won the Minnesota State High School Girls Basketball Championship. She defends, rebounds, can get to the rim and thrives on contact. Her toughness and tenacity on defense are going to help set the tone against versatile offensive opponents. We're very excited to have Viria joining the Redbird family."
Millie Stevens // Forward // 6-1 // Surrey, England // Sevenoaks Suns (WBBL team)
Notable: Named the Most Valuable Player by the Great Britain Performance Manager in the 2015 National Cup Final in Manchester, helping the Sevenoaks Suns win a 62-59 game with 19 points and 11 rebounds … she also had two assists, two steals and a block to go along with the double-double … the Suns are a part of the Women's British Basketball League (WBBL), which is the highest level of women's basketball in the United Kingdom … in the U18 National League with the Suns, her team won in 2014 and finished second twice … in the U18 National Cup, she led the Suns to two titles and two second-place finishes.
Coach Smith on Stevens: "Millie is a six-foot-tall versatile forward. Millie's main asset is that she loves to run the floor. She is fast up and down, and she is explosive to the basket. Millie is definitely going to love the guard play of our team. She is hungry and a worker. Millie brings maturity, leadership, a work ethic and the desire to be the best she can be. She is a winner and for the past few years has been playing with older players for the United Kingdom National team. Millie is so appreciative to play in the United States, and we are excited to have her joining our team."
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
