ELLENSBURG (Sept. 30) -- With the 2010-11 women's basketball season fast approaching, Central Washington University head coach Jeff Whitney has announced the addition of Stacy Clinesmith as assistant coach plus the transfer of two four-year players to the Wildcat program.

Joining the Wildcats on the court this season are center/forward Aleyse Evans (Sacramento, Calif./Mesa Verde HS) from Loyola Marymount University and point guard Luv Rattler (Riverside, Calif./Kentlake HS [Wash.]) from Cameron University. Both players will have just one year of eligibility remaining with the Wildcats.

Clinesmith, 32, replaces Rachael Ziemann as the Wildcats' full-time assistant coach. She starred in basketball at Mead High School in Spokane before embarking on a standout collegiate career at UC Santa Barbara (1996-2000) and then a professional career in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) and internationally in Puerto Rico. Clinesmith is a 2000 graduate of UCSB with a degree in sociology.

"The great thing about Stacy is that she has Northwest connections, which is huge for recruiting purposes," Whitney said. "She has great experience playing at a quality Division I program, and then for several seasons in the WNBA. Her credentials as a basketball player speak for themselves, but she also has great experience as from her time as an assistant at Oregon State."

Clinesmith finished her college career ranked second in UCSB history with 647 assists and is sixth on the Gauchos' all-time scoring list with 1,565 career points. She helped UCSB to a 107-20 record and four NCAA Division I tournament appearances during her playing career.

Following the conclusion of her playing career, Clinesmith spent one season (2008-09) as the Director of Basketball Operations at Oregon State University.

Evans, a 6-foot-1 senior, played for three seasons at Loyola Marymount in the West Coast Conference, appearing in 70 games for the Lions. She started 25 of 30 games in 2008-09 and led LMU with a sophomore class-record 7.1 rebounds per game -- an average that ranked sixth in the WCC. Last season, she appeared in 13 games with one start before leaving the team mid-season.

"Aleyse brings great size and athleticism to our post position," Whitney explained. "All of her skills have been a proven commodity in the West Coast Conference. She is excellent on the boards, and her ability to block shots is outstanding."

Rattler, a 5-foot-4 senior point guard, prepped at Kentlake High School before attending Bellevue Community College and then Cameron University in Oklahoma. While at Bellevue, she earned Northern Region MVP honors in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) and hepled the Bulldogs to the NWAACC championship game as a freshman. At Division II Cameron last season, Rattler averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 assists per game.

"Luv is definitely a scoring point guard who is also a solid on-ball defender," Whitney said. "She is very quick and athletic. Her ability to get to the basket is incredible, and she has a true knack to get to the free throw line."

With just three letter winners returning, the Wildcats are expected to have a renewed look when they embark on their 25-game schedule in one of the most challenging Division II conferences in the country in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Central's 2010-11 season opener is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 15 against the University of Hawai'i at Hilo at Nicholson Pavilion.