BROOKLYN, N.Y.— Long Island University women's basketball head coach Rene Haynes announced the addition of three players for the 2019-20 season. Paulani Tarawa (Sydney, Australia), Mia Perkins (Houston, Texas) and Zhané Williams (Jersey City, N.J.) have signed to play for the Sharks next season.

Paulani Tarawa
Paulani Tarawa, a 5-11 wing, from Australia played the last two seasons at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming.

Tarawa averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game in her two seasons with the Rustlers, connecting on 41.3% from the field. She registered 39 games with 10 or more points at Central Wyoming.

She averaged 14.5 points per game 5.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a sophomore in 2018-19. She scored a season-best 23 points against Eastern Wyoming on January 19.

As a freshman, Tarawa averaged 15.8 points per game with 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Her scoring output of 475 points in her rookie season was the most in Central Wyoming single-season history.

Scholastically, Tarawa was a three-year letter winner at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah. She starred in both basketball and volleyball for the Bruins. She earned second team All-State honors as a senior on the hardwood.

Haynes on Tarawa: "Paulani is proficient at creating scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates with her continuous off the ball movement.  She has very high IQ and understands the timing and spacing necessary to create scoring advantages in transition. Her experience will be a great addition to our team."

Mia Perkins
Mia Perkins, a 6-1 forward, comes to LIU after two seasons at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas.

Perkins averaged 9.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore for the Roadrunners. She tallied seven double-doubles in 2018-19, scoring a season-best 23 points to go along with 12 rebounds against Tyler Junior College on January 9. She grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds against Paris Junior College on February 23. Perkins earned All-Region XIV honorable mention honors.

She averaged 5.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a key reserve her freshman year at Angelina. Perkins recorded a season-best 22 points and 15 rebounds against Paris Junior College on January 27, 2018.

Scholastically, Perkins was a two-year letter winner at Westbury Christian High School. She garnered second team All-State and first team All-District honors as a senior, guiding the Wildcats to an appearance in the state championship.

Perkins comes from a basketball family. Her father, Sam Perkins, a member of the of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, starred at North Carolina as a three-time All-American and captured the 1982 National Championship with the Tar Heels. He captained Team USA to the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics before embarking on a 17-year career in the NBA.

Haynes on Perkins: "Mia instinctually understands how to break down a defense with her interior play. She has the ability to stretch the floor with her three-point shooting. Mia has the footwork and scoring ability that will challenge any defense, and the patience and passing skills to keep an opponent off balance. I love how she excels in rebounding on both ends of the court."

Zhané Williams
Zhané Williams returns to the metropolitan area after spending two years at Iowa Western Community College. The Jersey City native starred at Lincoln high school as a scholastic athlete.

Williams averaged 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in her sophomore season with the Reivers. She tallied 10 double-digit scoring efforts as a sophomore including a career-high 26 points against Cloud County Community College on November 24. She dished out five or more assists on seven occasions in 2018-19 including a career-high 11 dimes against Moberly Area Community College on February 12.

As a freshman, Williams averaged 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game for Iowa Western. She tallied five double-digit scoring efforts from the point guard position, including a season-best 17 points against North Dakota State College of Science on November 15, 2017.

Prior to her time in Iowa, Williams was the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic League Player of the Year for Lincoln High School in her senior campaign. She was a 1,000 point scorer in her four-year varsity career with the Lions.

Haynes on Williams: "We will look to Zhanè to be our floor general.  She is transferring from a very successful junior college and brings a lot of winning pedigree with her. Her biggest contributions will be in controlling tempo, time and score, and effectively communicating adjustments from the bench. Her leadership in special situations and end games will be monumental in the progress of our program."

LIU returns 11 student-athletes from a season ago including NEC Rookie of the Year, Brandy Thomas and All-NEC Third Team honoree Jeydah Johnson. The addition of Tarawa, Perkins and Williams the Sharks roster now bolsters eight upperclassmen for next season.