The Washington women’s basketball team announced yesterday that three new players — all ranked in the top 55 by HoopGurlz — have signed letters of intent.

Two players of the 2010 signing class hail from the Seattle area. The most notable is 5-foot-7 guard Mercedes Wetmore. The native of the Puget Sound area played at Auburn’s Riverside High School, where she won two WIAA state titles in 2007 and 2008. She is the No. 28 guard in the nation, according to HoopGurlz, and brings a wealth of winning experience to the UW.

Marjorie Heard is a 6-foot-1 forward and hails from the Snohomish area. While starring at Glacier Peak High School, Heard averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds and showed an exceptional aggressive pursuit for the ball. Heard and transfer Regina Rogers will provide the Huskies with a solid frontcourt next season.

Ashley Moore is the only signee not from Washington. The 5-foot-10 guard comes from Vallejo, Calif., and is the No. 55-rated guard in the nation, according to HoopGurlz. She has great length and can score from anywhere on the court. Moore was head coach Tia Jackson’s first recruit.

On Wednesday, men’s basketball coach Lorenzo Romar also announced an addition to his program. Desmond Simmons of Richmond, Calif., signed a letter of intent to play for the Huskies. Simmons is currently a senior at Salesian High School, where he led his team to the Northern California Division IV Championship as a junior. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 18.2 points and 12.6 rebounds in his junior year and is on pace to break Salesian’s career scoring record.

Simmons is rated as the No. 25 power forward in the country by Scout.com.

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.