FORT MYERS, Fla. – Continuing to increase depth to the backcourt, head coach Karl Smesko has announced the addition of Stony Brook transfer Davion Wingate to the FGCU women's basketball team.
 
A 5-6 guard from Atlanta, Wingate – who started classes last week at FGCU – will utilize her redshirt season in 2017-18 to comply with NCAA transfer rules. Beginning in the 2018-19 season, Wingate will have two years of eligibility remaining as a redshirt junior.
 
"Davion has proven to be a very productive Division-I talent," Smesko said. "She is exceptionally fast. She can attack the rim and hit the 3. We are expecting big things from her."
 
Wingate was a state champion her senior season at Stephenson High School before competing at Stony Brook. In her first season, she was named to the America East All-Rookie Team, finishing 2nd amongst rookies in the conference with 8.7 points per game. Wingate started in 14 games, making appearances in 18 more.
 
As a sophomore, Wingate led the Seawolves with 11.8 points per game, notching double figures in 19 contests, including a stretch of six-straight games in the middle of the season. Wingate proved to be crucial down the stretch, posting double-digits scoring efforts in eight of the final nine contests.
 
Over her two seasons, Wingate averaged 10.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. A steady hand at the line, she converted free throws at nearly an 80-percent clip. Wingate can extend the defense as she hit 30 percent of her 3-point efforts.
 
"The coaching staff is great, and they really know how to develop players as well as motivate them," said Wingate. "My teammates and I know what to expect out of them, and they know what to expect out of me and my teammates. They won't allow us to slack off. My goal is to continue the winning culture already established here, make the NCAA Tournament and become a better and more successful player.
 
"I love the winning atmosphere at FGCU, and the fan support is tremendous," Wingate added. "It's not just women's basketball, either. Numerous sports have been very successful, so everyone knows what it takes to win and that's great to be around."
 
Wingate joins Wagner transfer Kerstie Phills (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian HS/Wagner), Houston Baptist transfer Lisa Zderadicka (Vienna, Austria/HAK Korneuburg/Houston Baptist) and Fort Myers native Keri Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS/Southern Miss) – who previously competed at Southern Miss – on the list of incoming transfers who will sit out the 2017-18 season.
 
In addition, Smesko signed freshmen Alyssa Blair (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin/Sun Prairie HS), Sheahen Dowling (Chicago, Illinois/Trinity HS) and Liberty Brown (Forney, Texas/Dallas Bryan Adams HS) tfor the upcoming season.
Five seniors will lead the Eagles into the 2017-18 campaign, including the leading scorer from last season, Rosemarie Julien (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Treasure Coast HS/Chipola College) (11 ppg). Fellow redshirt senior Erica Nelson (Kansas City, Mo./Lee Summit North HS/Johnson County CC) also returns for her final season in Fort Myers, coming off a season where she averaged 9.2 points per game, in addition to ASUN Tournament MVP China Dow (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy of Louisville/Middle Tennessee State) (8.7 ppg), Taylor Gradinjan (Cudahy, Wisc./Cudahy HS) (8 ppg) and Jessica Cattani (Muskego, Wisc./Muskego HS) (6.7 ppg).
 
Season-ticket renewals are underway for the 2017-18 campaign as FGCU prepares for one of the most competitive home schedules in program history – a lineup that includes Power Five foes Kentucky and Illinois on top of a challenging conference slate.
 
Fans who have not already renewed their season tickets may do so by visiting or calling the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For a detailed seating map and additional ticket and pricing information, visit FGCUAthletics.com/WBBTickets.
 
Those wishing to secure season tickets for the first time may get on the 2017-18 season ticket priority list now by contacting a Ticket Office representative and making a non-refundable $100 deposit per seat. The priority list will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Seats are still available with packages ranging from $133 for general admission to $266 for prime lower-level seating.
 
SOCIAL CENTRAL
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.
 
SMESKO
Head coach Karl Smesko rallied the 2016-17 Eagles to their seventh-straight 25-win campaign, which culminated in the team's fourth NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons of eligibility. The seven-time ASUN Coach of the Year was named the espnW Mid-Major Coach of the Year a season earlier, following a successful 2015-16 run, that witnessed the Eagles finish a best-ever 33-6. Under his direction, FGCU compiled two-straight 30-win seasons with four perfect ASUN regular-season slates in the last six years. The team earned its first top-25 ranking and another NCAA Tournament trip as a seven seed in 2014-15 where FGCU won its first ever DI NCAA Tournament game against No. 10 Oklahoma State. With 26 wins this year, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 13-straight 20-win seasons.  He maintains a record of 404-82 at FGCU for an 83 W% with a mark of 160-15 (91 W%) in ASUN contests and has led the team to a 93-3 (97 W%) record in conference play in the last six seasons. The 18-year head coach earned his 400th career win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma, and holds a career record of 465-109 (81 W%). Smesko ranks among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher, joining Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.