DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie announced on Tuesday the signing of Mercedes Riggs of Lindon, Utah to a National Letter of Intent (NLI).
Riggs will attend Duke in the fall of 2014 and have two years of eligibility remaining, following a two-year stint at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC).
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Mercedes into our Duke family,” McCallie said.
“Mercedes is a gritty point guard and a tireless worker on and off the court. Her work ethic is so impressive in all ways. She aspires to excellence as a person and a player. She is a super addition to our team.”
Riggs, a 5-foot-7-inch point guard, is coming off a 2013-14 season during which she started all 34 games at SLCC and averaged 8.9 points, 5.1 assists and 2.4 steals.
She earned Second Team All-America recognition as a sophomore with the Bruins and was selected as the team’s Most Valuable Player, along with being selected to the Midland WNIT All-Tournament Team.
Riggs distributed four or more assists in 27 games, including a season-high 10 versus Utah State University-Eastern while scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
As a freshman at Salt Lake, Riggs averaged 5.5 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds as she started 19 of 30 games and received the Best Defensive Player award.
Riggs helped lead the Bruins to an overall record of 45-19 in two years.
Riggs was a three-year letterwinner at Timpanogos High School where she was named Utah Valley Player of the Year and 4A State Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2012.
As a junior and senior, she averaged 11.6 points a game and helped lead Timpanogos to the 2012 State Championship.
An outstanding student, she was a four-time Honor Roll selection in high school, while being named to SLCC’s Dean’s List in during the Spring 2013 semester and President’s List (High Honor Roll) in Fall 2013.
Riggs now becomes part of Duke’s and McCallie’s top-ranking incoming 2014 class of five members that includes Lyneé Belton of Clinton, Md., Sierra Calhoun of Brooklyn, N.Y., Erin Mathias of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Azurá Stevens of Raleigh, N.C.