BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University head basketball coach Carmen Dolfo has announced that forward Jadyn Watts has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) joining the Vikings women's basketball program as a freshman in 2022-23.
 
Watts is a 6-1 forward that competed in basketball and track & field during her prep career for West Seattle High School and Mount Rainier High School.
 
As a senior in 2021-22, Watts earned Second Team All-Metro League honors averaging 12.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. She also served as the West Seattle HS team captain as a senior and was a Metro League Scholar Athlete Award winner. Her contributions as a student-athlete went beyond the court, earning the Blue and Gold Award for outstanding involvement and contributions to West Seattle High School.
 
"Jadyn is a player that has all the skills to turn in to a really great all-around player," said Dolfo. "She has been around the game her whole life and has worked hard to take this next step in her basketball career. We are looking forward to getting her in the program and to see her talent blossom."
 
Watts played for club programs Northwest Blazers (2018-2020) and Friends of Hoop (2022), and has been heavily involved in her family basketball instructional academy, Watts Basketball. She also played in the Puget Sound All-Star Classic (2022) and the Jamal Crawford High School Select Game (2021).
 
Jadyn comes from strong basketball family, with her grandfather Slick Watts all-time NBA great and a fixture in the Seattle basketball community. Her father, Donald Watts, starred at the University of Washington leading the Huskies to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, and mother, Emily Autrey, was also a varsity player at UW.
 
"From the moment I first stepped on the WWU campus, I felt welcomed by the coaching staff and team," said Watts. "In the games I watched during the 2021-22 season, I saw the team chemistry and tenacity of the basketball program. It is those qualities that any player could ask for in a team and I am excited to join the program."
 
Watts joins a strong recruiting class that includes Cameron transfer guard Stephanie Peterson and Kentwood High School product Kaimyla Nolen.