Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters have bolstered their ranks with the arrival of guard Jen Ashton, who has dual citizenship having moved to the USA at the age of 5 from Blackpool.
Harbouring ambitions to represent the country of her birth, Ashton will make her WBBL debut during the forthcoming 2017-18 season and will take on playmaking duties with Hatters now missing Georgia Gayle, who has went in the opposite direction across The Pond to attend Junior College in Florida.
Ashton is a former star of Westfield State, where she was a standout player. A great free-throw shooter and creative force, she left College with her name in the record books after scoring over 1500 points at Westfield – a number which put her second on the All-Time Leaders list at the school.
A complete player, Ashton has a coaches’ basketball brain, something which will come in handy as she takes up her new role. She was an Assistant play-caller at Beverly High and accepted a position as an assistant coach at American International College in Springfield.
Ashton said: “AIC went to the NCAA’s so that was exciting as I didn’t get there as a player. I really liked Westfield State, but was disappointed we never made the NCAA tournament.
“I wound up on the all-time scoring in second place by just one basket, but even in high school shooting was not my first priority. Anyone will tell you I pass too much. It’s nice to now get back to playing again. I expect to have more of a point guard role and passing will be my first responsibility; to get the ball up court and set up somebody.
“I also love to play defence and steal the ball. I’ve been lucky to have a knack for the ball and coaches say I have a strong basketball IQ. I can tell what will happen before it actually does, and I can use that to my advantage.
“I know this will be a big change for me, but it’s something I’m excited about playing professional basketball, and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” added Ashton, who will link up with Great Britain’s Helen Naylor who re-signed for Hatters last month.