George Washington University Athletics
Women’s Basketball Lands Three During Early Signing Period
11/14/2024 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
WASHINGTON – Head Coach Caroline McCombs and the George Washington women's basketball team landed three signees during the NCAA's early signing period, which began on Wednesday. The Buff & Blue are excited to welcome Mia James, Charish Thompson and Payton Dulin to the program.
"We are elated about our 2024-25 recruiting class," said McCombs. "We are bringing in high-character young women who will compete in the classroom and on the basketball court. All three have an amazing spirit and I believe they will thrive in the type of environment that we create at GW. Our staff did a tremendous job of finding the right people to continue to elevate our program."
Mia "MJ" James | 5'4" | Guard | Dacula, Ga. | Hebron Christian Academy
James signs with GW after putting together a solid career at Hebron Christian Academy, where she averages 12 points, five assists, three assists and three steals per game through her first three varsity seasons. James is a three-time Georgia State Champion and a three-time First Team All-Region honoree with Hebron Christian and helped lead the team to a 32-2 overall record last season, capturing the program's 17th Georgia State Championship. In her three years of varsity basketball, James and Hebron Christian have a combined 96-2 overall record, including perfect seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Entering her senior year, James and Hebron Christian are the third-ranked team nationally according to MaxPreps and ripped off 23-straight wins to conclude the 2023-24 campaign.
Caroline McCombs on Mia
"MJ has been on our radar for a very long time, and we are excited to finally welcome her to Foggy Bottom," McCombs said. "She's a leader, a winner and an outstanding floor general who makes everyone around her better. Her ability to score the ball along with her tenacity on defense will enable her to make an immediate impact. She comes from one of the best high school basketball programs in the country and is used to competing at a high level. We are looking forward to watching her shine this high school season."
Mia on joining the Buff & Blue
"Coach McCombs was one of the first coaches to give me a college offer. She was the first coach who believed in me to play Division I basketball at the next level. It was a no-brainer to commit to GW as we continued to build a relationship between her, myself and my family. Along with visiting the campus, it was a full circle moment, and I knew it was the right fit for me."
Charish "CC" Thompson | 6'0" | Guard/Forward | Sachse, Texas | Sachse High School
Thompson joins the Buff & Blue with three successful seasons of prep basketball under her belt at Sachse High School in Texas. A three-time First-Team All-District honoree, Thompson averages 17.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in her career. She was the district Defensive Player of the Year during her sophomore season and followed that up with a regional Player of the Year award last season as a junior. Thompson is already a member of Sachse's 1,000-point club and also earned All-State honors for the first time last year as well. Thompson has guided her high school program to a 71-30 record during her three seasons and looks to add to that total during her senior season.
Caroline McCombs on Charish
"CC is a versatile forward who can shoot the three, has a knack for finishing around the basket, and a tenacity to rebound the ball at a high level," said McCombs. "Her length and athleticism combined with her ability to shoot the basketball will allow her to bring another dynamic to our program. CC has such an energetic personality that will be infectious with her teammates. She has such a high ceiling and has only scratched the surface of what we envision in her abilities."
Charish on joining the Buff & Blue
"I chose GW because of the academic reputation, family environment and the city. What excites me about joining the program is knowing how much I'm going to grow as a person on and off the court."
Payton Dulin | 5'9" | Guard | Baldwin, N.Y. | Baldwin High School
A native of Baldwin, N.Y., Dulin is set to join GW for the 2025-26 season after leading Baldwin to two AA Long Island Championships. The three-time county champion and First-Team All-Long Island honoree tallied her 1,000th career point during her junior year and earned New York All-State honors in the same season as well. Dulin has helped guide Baldwin's program to a 54-4 record over her first three years, highlighted by a 22-3 season in 2022-23. She's also been honored twice at the conference level, winning the Nassau County Player of the Year award following the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Caroline McCombs on Payton
"Payton is a highly competitive guard," McCombs said. "She can play on or off the ball and is an elite defender. She'll give us another ball handler in our backcourt and will allow us to play an exciting style of basketball. Payton comes from an outstanding high school program where they value defense and toughness, so there is no doubt she will be prepared to compete for the Buff & Blue."
Payton on joining the Buff & Blue
"I chose George Washington because of the culture and the family atmosphere that made me feel at home. I knew right away that I would love it here. The coaching staff and players were so supportive through the recruiting process and consistently showed that they cared about me and my decision. I'm excited to get on campus and do all I can to contribute to helping the team win championships. I can't wait to bring my passion and determination to GW. Raise High!"
"We are elated about our 2024-25 recruiting class," said McCombs. "We are bringing in high-character young women who will compete in the classroom and on the basketball court. All three have an amazing spirit and I believe they will thrive in the type of environment that we create at GW. Our staff did a tremendous job of finding the right people to continue to elevate our program."
Mia "MJ" James | 5'4" | Guard | Dacula, Ga. | Hebron Christian Academy
James signs with GW after putting together a solid career at Hebron Christian Academy, where she averages 12 points, five assists, three assists and three steals per game through her first three varsity seasons. James is a three-time Georgia State Champion and a three-time First Team All-Region honoree with Hebron Christian and helped lead the team to a 32-2 overall record last season, capturing the program's 17th Georgia State Championship. In her three years of varsity basketball, James and Hebron Christian have a combined 96-2 overall record, including perfect seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Entering her senior year, James and Hebron Christian are the third-ranked team nationally according to MaxPreps and ripped off 23-straight wins to conclude the 2023-24 campaign.
Caroline McCombs on Mia
"MJ has been on our radar for a very long time, and we are excited to finally welcome her to Foggy Bottom," McCombs said. "She's a leader, a winner and an outstanding floor general who makes everyone around her better. Her ability to score the ball along with her tenacity on defense will enable her to make an immediate impact. She comes from one of the best high school basketball programs in the country and is used to competing at a high level. We are looking forward to watching her shine this high school season."
Mia on joining the Buff & Blue
"Coach McCombs was one of the first coaches to give me a college offer. She was the first coach who believed in me to play Division I basketball at the next level. It was a no-brainer to commit to GW as we continued to build a relationship between her, myself and my family. Along with visiting the campus, it was a full circle moment, and I knew it was the right fit for me."
Charish "CC" Thompson | 6'0" | Guard/Forward | Sachse, Texas | Sachse High School
Thompson joins the Buff & Blue with three successful seasons of prep basketball under her belt at Sachse High School in Texas. A three-time First-Team All-District honoree, Thompson averages 17.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in her career. She was the district Defensive Player of the Year during her sophomore season and followed that up with a regional Player of the Year award last season as a junior. Thompson is already a member of Sachse's 1,000-point club and also earned All-State honors for the first time last year as well. Thompson has guided her high school program to a 71-30 record during her three seasons and looks to add to that total during her senior season.
Caroline McCombs on Charish
"CC is a versatile forward who can shoot the three, has a knack for finishing around the basket, and a tenacity to rebound the ball at a high level," said McCombs. "Her length and athleticism combined with her ability to shoot the basketball will allow her to bring another dynamic to our program. CC has such an energetic personality that will be infectious with her teammates. She has such a high ceiling and has only scratched the surface of what we envision in her abilities."
Charish on joining the Buff & Blue
"I chose GW because of the academic reputation, family environment and the city. What excites me about joining the program is knowing how much I'm going to grow as a person on and off the court."
Payton Dulin | 5'9" | Guard | Baldwin, N.Y. | Baldwin High School
A native of Baldwin, N.Y., Dulin is set to join GW for the 2025-26 season after leading Baldwin to two AA Long Island Championships. The three-time county champion and First-Team All-Long Island honoree tallied her 1,000th career point during her junior year and earned New York All-State honors in the same season as well. Dulin has helped guide Baldwin's program to a 54-4 record over her first three years, highlighted by a 22-3 season in 2022-23. She's also been honored twice at the conference level, winning the Nassau County Player of the Year award following the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Caroline McCombs on Payton
"Payton is a highly competitive guard," McCombs said. "She can play on or off the ball and is an elite defender. She'll give us another ball handler in our backcourt and will allow us to play an exciting style of basketball. Payton comes from an outstanding high school program where they value defense and toughness, so there is no doubt she will be prepared to compete for the Buff & Blue."
Payton on joining the Buff & Blue
"I chose George Washington because of the culture and the family atmosphere that made me feel at home. I knew right away that I would love it here. The coaching staff and players were so supportive through the recruiting process and consistently showed that they cared about me and my decision. I'm excited to get on campus and do all I can to contribute to helping the team win championships. I can't wait to bring my passion and determination to GW. Raise High!"
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