West Haven High School

Amani Abuhatab, a senior on the West Haven High School girls basketball team, signed her National Letter of Intent (NLI) Wednesday to play college basketball at Mercy College. Amani put the pen to paper on the first day of National Signing Day with her parents by her side, and WHHS coaches, teammates, and administrators in attendance.

“I really liked Mercy College when I first got there, more so than any other campus, and I thought, this is the school for me,” said Abuhatab. “The coaches are crazy about me, I really like the teammates, I really like everything about Mercy. I just knew it was the perfect fit for me, that’s why I wanted to go there. My coaches here (WHHS) are very supportive of me and told me to go where I’m happy, and Mercy makes me happy.”

Amani has excelled throughout her first three seasons with the Blue Devils. Last year, she averaged 18.9 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.6 steals, and 3.2 assists per game while posting 19 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. She also surpassed 1,000 career points and racked up numerous accolades: SCC Player of the Year, New Haven Register All-Area Team (3-time), All-SCC Selection (3-time), and Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CTHSCA) All-State, while also being named a SCC Scholar Athlete for her excellence in the classroom.

“Before Amani even came to high school, we knew she had such a natural talent that playing at the next level was never in question, it was just a matter of where, so her achieving this goal is huge for her, it’s huge for our program,” said Jessica Moriarty, head coach of the WHHS girls basketball team. “She works harder than anybody else and it shows by her signing today. It’s a tremendous accomplishment, and we are all really proud of her."

Mercy College is a NCAA Division II institution and is a member of the East Coast Conference. The school is located in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.