Senior Makana Stone signed a letter of intent during a ceremony at the Coupeville High School gymnasium Friday, Feb. 5, to play basketball for Whitman College next year.

Stone narrowed her choice of schools to Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma), Emmanuel College (Boston) and Whitman, before choosing the Walla Walla school for its academic reputation.

“Academics come first,” Stone, who carries a 3.9 grade point average, said. “Overall, in academics and athletics, Whitman is top notch.

“I think I will be successful there.”

Stone is the reigning Most Valuable Basketball Player of the Olympic League and will most likely repeat the honor this season, producing a double-double every game for the league champion Wolves.

She also led Coupeville to the conference title in 2014-15.

Whitman has one of the strongest Division III women’s basketball programs in the region. The Missionaries are 15-4 this season. They posted records of 31-2 in 2013-14 and 23-6 in 2012-13.