She made a very-good first impression.
And then a great second, third, fourth, and fifth impression.
Coupeville grad Makana Stone has played five basketball games for England’s Loughborough University, throwing down five double-doubles.
Now, after amassing 20 points and 21 rebounds Saturday, including hitting a game-winning bank shot with four seconds to play to upend undefeated Ipswich, the former Wolf is once again raking in honors.
Stone was tabbed Monday as the Women’s National Basketball League Player of the Week, the second time she’s snagged that award this season.
Ipswich is the defending league champ and looked like it would keep its record perfect after a three-ball staked it to a late 76-75 lead.
Enter Loughborough’s American assassin, who pulled down an entry pass, used and abused her defender — Gonzaga-bound Esther Little — then softly banked home the game’s final bucket while hanging in the air.
With the win, the Riders improved to 4-2 on the season, 4-1 with Stone in uniform, while sending Ipswich to 6-1.
Coupeville’s progeny, who had a torrid four-year run of academic and athletic success at Whitman College before heading overseas, is among the league leaders in multiple categories.
Stone is tied for #1 in rebounds (16.4 a night), #4 in efficiency (133.0), #5 in scoring (17.0), and #8 in free throw percentage (79.2%).
Loughborough has one game left before winter break, with a matchup against Nottingham this coming Saturday, December 19.
That game will pit Stone against three-ball gunner Mady Burnett, her running mate at Whitman for four seasons.
Together, the duo led the Blues to 94 wins, the most by a graduating class in program history.