Photo by: Owen Main
Cal Poly Women’s Basketball Signs Four to National Letters of Intent
11/16/2023 1:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly women's basketball head coach Shanele Stires and the athletic department have announced that the program has signed four players to National Letters of Intent. All four will join the program for the 2024-25 season.
The program will welcome three international players and one from Southern California. The four signees are Carmela Fontes (Uruguay), Ana Moleon Hidalgo (Alicante, Spain), Nora Perez (San Sebastian, Spain), and Gabby Robinson (Corona, CA).
More about the signees:
Carmela Fontes (Uruguay)
Woodside Priory School (Portola Valley, CA) / Team Norcal
6'2" F
Fontes, who is originally from Uruguay, attends Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, Calif. There, she helped the program to a CCS Division 5 championship in 2022. That year, she averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game.
Fontes has also played for the Uruguay National Team as part of the 14U team in 2019 and the 18U team in 2022.
Coach Stires comment: "Carmela is an incredibly skilled and versatile stretch forward from Uruguay, who is currently finishing high school at Woodside Priory in the Bay area. She will give us great front court passing presence, her ability to go high-low, attack off the bounce, rebound the ball and stretch the floor make her a tough matchup for opponents. Her skill and versatility will give our roster needed size, shooting and decision making. She has a point guard mentality in a forward's body. Carmela is quiet and reserved; however, her game speaks loudly. She has been in the states following her freshmen year and has acclimated to the physicality of the American game. Her high school coach is a great friend in the game and that gave us the ability to develop the relationship with Carmela relatively quickly. Mustang fans are going to love what she brings to the floor."
Ana Moleon Hidalgo (Alicante, Spain)
San Gabriel High School, Barcelona, Spain
6'0" PG
In Spain, Moleon Hidalgo was a three-on-three tournament champion in 2019 in addition to winning a U18 Spanish Championship in 2022.
In 2023, she was part of Elite Sport Academy Spain team that won the Run & Roses Tournament in Louisville, KY.
Coach Stires comment: "Ana is a skilled and long point guard that gives us needed depth at that position. Her game will excite our fanbase as she is reminiscent of Ricky Rubio of the NBA. She has excellent court vision, can push pace and control tempo, is a skilled finisher and can stretch the floor with her three-point shooting. Our coaching staff quickly fell in love with her passion for the game of basketball. Ana wants to win! She has an infectious spirit, and we are over the moon to have Ana join our Mustang family!"
Nora Perez (San Sebastian, Spain)
San Ignacio De Loiola, San Sebastian, Spain
6'0" F
Another signee from Spain, Perez has played for the U17 Spanish National Team and the U17 3x3 Spanish National Team. In 2023, she was named MVP and helped her team take first in the U17 3x3 Spain Championship.
In 2021, she was named MVP of the Basque Country League and helped lead her team to a Basque Country League title that year. She's been named a Baque Country League selection three times.
Coach Stires comment: "Nora has great international experience as a member of the Spanish 16U National Team. Nora will bring great perimeter shooting, mobility, and ballhandling skills from the stretch four position. Nora is a fabulous student who fell in love with Cal Poly's incredible Engineering program and is a perfect fit here at Cal Poly in the classroom and on the court. She will bring much needed three-point shooting ability to our team. We couldn't be more excited to have her join our family!"
Gabby Robinson (Yorba Linda, CA)
Centennial HS, Corona, CA
5'10" G
The lone American in the signing class, Robinson plays at Centennial High School in Southern California. As a junior last year, she scored 48 points in a game in which she set the state record with 12 made threes in the game.
She was named one of PrepGirlsHoops.com Top 20 players in California. Last year, she averaged 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steal, and shot 40 percent from three.
Coach Stires comment: "Gabby is the ultimate two-way player, a skilled and shifty rim attacker who has the ability to heat up behind the three-point line, as evidenced with her setting the California State High school record for threes made in a game with 12 last season. However, what Gabby is most well-known for is her lockdown defense. Gabby is an excellent on-ball defender and is disruptive at that end of the floor. We have developed a great relationship with her, her family, and her club coaches. Ultimately that made all the difference as she had her pick of schools, many power-5 opportunities. She is a great fit to our program and we are looking forward to big things from Gabby."
The program will welcome three international players and one from Southern California. The four signees are Carmela Fontes (Uruguay), Ana Moleon Hidalgo (Alicante, Spain), Nora Perez (San Sebastian, Spain), and Gabby Robinson (Corona, CA).
More about the signees:
Carmela Fontes (Uruguay)
Woodside Priory School (Portola Valley, CA) / Team Norcal
6'2" F
Fontes, who is originally from Uruguay, attends Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, Calif. There, she helped the program to a CCS Division 5 championship in 2022. That year, she averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game.
Fontes has also played for the Uruguay National Team as part of the 14U team in 2019 and the 18U team in 2022.
Coach Stires comment: "Carmela is an incredibly skilled and versatile stretch forward from Uruguay, who is currently finishing high school at Woodside Priory in the Bay area. She will give us great front court passing presence, her ability to go high-low, attack off the bounce, rebound the ball and stretch the floor make her a tough matchup for opponents. Her skill and versatility will give our roster needed size, shooting and decision making. She has a point guard mentality in a forward's body. Carmela is quiet and reserved; however, her game speaks loudly. She has been in the states following her freshmen year and has acclimated to the physicality of the American game. Her high school coach is a great friend in the game and that gave us the ability to develop the relationship with Carmela relatively quickly. Mustang fans are going to love what she brings to the floor."
Ana Moleon Hidalgo (Alicante, Spain)
San Gabriel High School, Barcelona, Spain
6'0" PG
In Spain, Moleon Hidalgo was a three-on-three tournament champion in 2019 in addition to winning a U18 Spanish Championship in 2022.
In 2023, she was part of Elite Sport Academy Spain team that won the Run & Roses Tournament in Louisville, KY.
Coach Stires comment: "Ana is a skilled and long point guard that gives us needed depth at that position. Her game will excite our fanbase as she is reminiscent of Ricky Rubio of the NBA. She has excellent court vision, can push pace and control tempo, is a skilled finisher and can stretch the floor with her three-point shooting. Our coaching staff quickly fell in love with her passion for the game of basketball. Ana wants to win! She has an infectious spirit, and we are over the moon to have Ana join our Mustang family!"
Nora Perez (San Sebastian, Spain)
San Ignacio De Loiola, San Sebastian, Spain
6'0" F
Another signee from Spain, Perez has played for the U17 Spanish National Team and the U17 3x3 Spanish National Team. In 2023, she was named MVP and helped her team take first in the U17 3x3 Spain Championship.
In 2021, she was named MVP of the Basque Country League and helped lead her team to a Basque Country League title that year. She's been named a Baque Country League selection three times.
Coach Stires comment: "Nora has great international experience as a member of the Spanish 16U National Team. Nora will bring great perimeter shooting, mobility, and ballhandling skills from the stretch four position. Nora is a fabulous student who fell in love with Cal Poly's incredible Engineering program and is a perfect fit here at Cal Poly in the classroom and on the court. She will bring much needed three-point shooting ability to our team. We couldn't be more excited to have her join our family!"
Gabby Robinson (Yorba Linda, CA)
Centennial HS, Corona, CA
5'10" G
The lone American in the signing class, Robinson plays at Centennial High School in Southern California. As a junior last year, she scored 48 points in a game in which she set the state record with 12 made threes in the game.
She was named one of PrepGirlsHoops.com Top 20 players in California. Last year, she averaged 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steal, and shot 40 percent from three.
Coach Stires comment: "Gabby is the ultimate two-way player, a skilled and shifty rim attacker who has the ability to heat up behind the three-point line, as evidenced with her setting the California State High school record for threes made in a game with 12 last season. However, what Gabby is most well-known for is her lockdown defense. Gabby is an excellent on-ball defender and is disruptive at that end of the floor. We have developed a great relationship with her, her family, and her club coaches. Ultimately that made all the difference as she had her pick of schools, many power-5 opportunities. She is a great fit to our program and we are looking forward to big things from Gabby."
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