BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford women's basketball team has added two new signees in the early signing period, head coach Carley Kuhns announced Wednesday.
 
High School signee Claire Johnson (G, 5-9, Paducah, Ky./McCracken County HS) signed her National Letter of Intent, while transfer Alexis Woods (F, 6-1, Athens, Ala./UAH) will be a graduate transfer from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
 
Johnson is listed as the preseason No. 1 player in her region, while her team was named the preseason No. 1 team in the region. Last season, she averaged 17.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. She also shot 61.1 percent from the floor and 32.6 percent from three-point range. Her team finished last season with a record of 35-3 overall and 17-0 in its region, reaching the state championship game last season. For her career, Johnson has already scored over 1,000 points with a season to go. She was named All-State by both the Louisville Courier Journal and the Lexington Herald last season.
 
"We are thrilled to announce the signing of Claire Johnson today," Kuhns said. "She brings an extremely high IQ, motor and skillset that will immediately impact our back court. She comes from a winning pedigree in high school, where she helped take her team to the state championship last season. She also competed for multiple years on the highest level of AAU, in the Nike EYBL circuit. We are thrilled to welcome Claire, as well as her family, to our program!"
 
Woods appeared in 68 games, starting 62 contests at UAH. She averaged 10.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Chargers. In 2020-21, she was named second team All-Gulf South Conference after scoring 16.3 points per game and grabbing 12.1 rebounds per game, both career highs. She also averaged 12.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 2021-22. Woods played her high school basketball at Athens High School.  
 
"We are ecstatic to welcome Alexis to our program as a mid-year transfer," Kuhns said. "I have known Alexis for a long time and coached against her for years. We're excited about her ability to provide a steady, mature presence for our team. For me, personally, I can't wait for her to help us win games instead of always beating up on the teams I was coaching. She is an All-Conference player, who has a ton of experience, and just wants one last opportunity to showcase her talents. Please help us welcome, Alexis!"
 
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