Tennessee, Kansas break into top half of class rankings; LSU stays No. 1

By ESPN | Created at 2024-11-21 16:54:37 | Updated at 2024-11-21 22:14:16 5 hours ago
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  • Shane Laflin

Nov 21, 2024, 11:30 AM ET

College basketball's early signing period was Nov. 13-20, and the commitment announcements during this window had a great impact on the top 25 women's college basketball recruiting class rankings. Lara Somfai to Stanford and Jaida Civil and Lauren Hurst to Tennessee all solidified their classes in the top 3. Kansas landed two top 30 commitments that vaulted it into the top 10.

With the window now closed, 98 of the 100 prospects are committed to 51 different programs. Six conferences are represented: the SEC, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Big East and the Ivy League.

We are still awaiting the announcements from No. 1 Aaliyah Chavez (Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, UCLA, South Carolina) and No. 4 Agot Makeer (UConn, South Carolina, Michigan State, and Kentucky).

Tennessee has five ESPN top 100 commits. LSU, Miami, Illinois, Stanford and Alabama each have four. Seven other programs have three top 100 commitments. Fourteen have two top 100 commits.

LSU has maintained the No. 1 spot since securing the commitment of Grace Knox, giving the Tigers four players in the top 30.

Here are our complete signing week top 25 recruiting class rankings.

1. LSU Tigers

No. 6 F Grace Knox
No. 12 PG Divine Bourrage
No. 13 G ZaKiyah Johnson
No. 30 G Isabella Hines

Kim Mulkey has signed three of the best perimeter players plus one of the most productive forwards in the country. They will complement each other and provide a punch from all angles, with some versatility inside sprinkled in.

Knox competes intensely on the defensive end and attacks the glass with a high energy. She has advanced rim-attacking skills with the ball and can shoot, with a range that goes out beyond the 3.

Bourrage is dynamic off the bounce and can create her own shot well as well as get to the rim. She has proved to be an effective facilitator in the transition game.

Johnson is a 6-foot guard-ing who is strong and also aggressive to the rim. She can slash for the pull-up but also post up and score. Defensively, she brings a physical presence to the perimeter, causing chaos in passing lanes.

Hines hunts shots well in the early offense or in the half court coming off of screens. She is a threat from 3 and has a nice pull-up jumper.


2. Tennessee Lady Volunteers

No. 11 PG Mia Pauldo
No. 14 G Deniya Prawl
No. 32 G Jaida Civil
No. 42 W Lauren Hurst
No. 56 PG Mya Pauldo

First-year coach Kim Caldwell made a major impression on the 2025 class with this haul of talent that will fit her unique style of play.

Mia Pauldo is a dynamic playmaker with energy. She shoots well from deep, distributes and creates offense for others, and defensively is a ball pressure expert. Her twin sister, Mya, is also a consistent energy player -- and a connector on the floor. She has high basketball IQ and instinct, and knows how to play to the strengths of others on the floor.

Prawl, a big athletic guard who is explosive to the rim, rebounds as a perimeter player as well as anyone in the country.

Civil is most effective in transition, as she is extremely speedy with the ball. Coupled with her instinct to create and facilitate, that is a dangerous combination.

Hurst is a fundamentally sound big guard with flashes of versatility. She can both hunt shots from deep and be that glue that helps the flow of the offense.


3. Stanford Cardinal

No. 9 PG Hailee Swain
No. 16 F Lara Somfai
No. 31 F Alexandra Eschmeyer
No. 84 F Nora Ezike
Four-star W Carly Amborn (unranked)

Kate Paye's first recruiting class is balanced, with two perimeter players and two for the inside.

The addition of Somfai really puts this class over the top. She is a versatile forward with years of FIBA experience. She has post-up game, can face up out to the perimeter and has a high IQ and touch beyond the three.

Swain has two years of USA Basketball experience already. She's one of the premier defenders in the country and has a fantastic game off the bounce.

Eschmeyer is one of the premier centers in a class that lacks bigs. She is long and mobile with the ability to stretch the floor from the three.

Ezike is active defensively and on the glass. She has some serious upside.

The unranked Amborn is a wing with length who shoots well -- a tradition at Stanford.


4. North Carolina Tar Heels

No. 20 W Nyla Brooks
No. 23 W Taliyah Henderson
No. 76 G Taisa Queiroz

Coach Courtney Banghart has serious athleticism, which will allow UNC to increase the ball pressure on the defensive end, play a multitude of schemes and attack the paint aggressively. They should pair nicely with the Tar Heels' interior players and point guard (Ciera Toomey, Blanca Thomas and Lanie Grant, respectively) next fall.

Brooks is a slashing wing with a serious pull-up jumper. She is lengthy and impactful on the defensive end.

Henderson, from Tucson, Arizona, is a versatile forward who saw her perimeter game blossom this summer before sustaining a knee injury.

Queiroz excels in transition and bullies her way to the rim.


5. UConn Huskies

No. 27 PG Kelis Fisher
No. 73 P Gandy Malou-Mamel
W Blanca Quinonez (Ecuador)

UConn's class is long and athletic and known for its defensive prowess. The perimeter players excel in transition and the potential return in post play has a high upside.

Geno Auriemma tapped into the international market for what might be the top commitment in this class in Quinonez, who would safely be a top 25 player in America. She is an athletic slasher who is disruptive defensively, and skilled enough to knock down perimeter shots. She has gained FIBA international experience all over the world and currently resides in Italy.

Fisher excels in the transition game and has terrific defensive impact with ball pressure and getting in passing lanes.

Malou-Mamel is long and mobile with good hands and feel for the game from the post position. She has a dedicated energy for the offensive glass and patrols the paint defensively.


6. Kansas Jayhawks

No. 17 F Jaliya Davis
No. 29 G Keeley Parks
No. 44 G Libby Fandel
Four-star F Tatyonna Brown (unranked)

Coach Brandon Schneider has a stacked, well-rounded group of complementary players.

Davis is one of the best forwards in the 2025 class. She is an elite operator in the paint and extremely hard to keep off of the glass, with an advanced face up game and soft touch around the rim.

Parks is an accomplished big guard with a strong frame. She has long range on her shot and finishes well around the rim with contact.

Fandel is a multisport athlete with an all around game. She can catch fire from the perimeter and moves well without the ball. She has that glue-like quality about her that impacts winning.

Brown is a 6-2 lefty forward who is active in the paint and on the glass. She brings a physical presence to the floor and has upside potential with flashes of the perimeter shot.


7. Illinois Fighting Illini

No. 25 PG Destiny Jackson
No. 40 F Cearah Parchment
No. 61 F Manuella Alves-Fernandez
No. 98 F Naomi Benson
Unranked G Erica Finney (Australia)

Coach Shauna Green likes to play a space and pace style; three of these commits fit the mold on the perimeter while the other two, a formidable F/P pair, will help in the paint. This class also fills an important need at point guard and adds depth inside.

Jackson really pushes the ball well. She brings heavy ball pressure defensively and is creative off the bounce to the rim.

Parchment is a finesse stretch-4 forward who brings a nice glue quality. She made a strong commitment to the glass this summer and raised her stock.

Alves-Fernandez is broad and strong with a soft touch. She has a nice old-school game and is effective with her back to the basket because of her footwork and ability to finish in the paint. She is physical defensively and active on the glass.

Benson is a rugged blue collar forward who cleans up the glass and does the dirty work in the paint. She is a strong athlete who understands her role -- playing physical defense and getting timely interior buckets.

A 6-foot Australian guard, Finney is an elite shooter both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations. She has nice footwork and change of pace to the rim and is a gritty competitor.


8. Miami Hurricanes

No. 36 G Camille Williams
No. 54 G Danielle Osho
No. 79 F Natalie Wetzel
No. 93 G Meredith Tippner
Four-star W Emanuella "Somo" Okolo (unranked)

What a splash first-year coach Tricia Cullop has made on the recruiting trail. Miami has a foundational class that should serve the program well into the future.

Williams can score from three levels. She has shown steady mature improvement throughout high school, which led to a breakthrough summer.

Osho is a physical small forward who brings energy defensively and is a quality passer and 3-point shooter.

Wetzel was one of the major stock-risers of the country. A 6-3 forward with versatile game, she is consistent, from the post to beyond the 3-point line.

Tippner can aggressively play on or off the ball. She excels in transition facilitation and the pull-up jumper.

The four-star Okolo, out of Texas, is one of the more athletic forwards in the class. Still raw skill-wise, she brings an element of physicality and upside that will be developed into something far more beneficial than her current rating as a player.


9. Kansas State Wildcats

No. 10 G Jordan Speiser
No. 46 G Aniya Foy
Unranked PG Gina Garcia Safot (Spain)

K-State's commits all bring something different to the table. They fit each other, and the program style of play, very well.

Jeff Mittie landed the best shooter in the country in Speiser, who was on an absolute heater all summer. She added the ability to take contact on drives to her offensive attack and it balanced out her game.

Foy should complement Speiser very well, a slashing elite athlete who shows promise in her shooting. She is explosive to the rim and disruptive defensively and on the glass.

Garcia Safot, a 5-9 Spanish point guard, is a traditionally fundamental game manager and distributor, averaging high assist numbers in her FIBA experience throughout the years.


10. Mississippi State Bulldogs

No. 38 G Jaylah Lampley
No. 39 F Madison Francis
No. 95 F Nataliyah Gray

Coach Sam Purcell has some serious length, athleticism and energy coming to Starkville in 2025, perfect for the SEC. This group will allow Purcell to play bigger lineups and increase the pace of play with defensive intensity next season.

Lampley is a "Three and D" specialist as a 6-1 forward/wing. She is very versatile defensively and spaces the floor for the spot-up 3, complimented by a slashing ability.

Francis has as much upside at the forward position as any player in the country. She brings a physical element to the game with her ability to run the floor and her activity level on the glass. She can be one of the best defensive players in the country in the future.

Gray's stock rose during the summer as she expanded her game from the paint to beyond the three-point line. A consistent competitive motor sets her apart.


11. Washington Huskies

No. 21 F Brynn McGaughy
No. 68 G Brynleigh Martin
No. 71 W Nina Cain

Each of these players brings something different to Tina Langley's program but will mesh well together. They join a program with seasoned guard play.

McGaughy can play the physical and finesse game. At 6-2, she can play off the bounce or bang in the post.

Martin is a 6-foot sharpshooter, a solid decision maker and a facilitator who can make plays off the bounce creating for teammates.

Cain attacks the glass and brings a real blue-collar approach to the floor. She excels on the offensive glass and is starting to shoot the three better.


12. Alabama Crimson Tide

No. 51 F Lourdes Da Silva Costa
No. 55 PG Ace Austin
No. 94 G Tianna Chambers
No. 97 F Joy Egbuna

Coach Kristy Curry has a very impactful class that adds talent to the Tide's roster, inside and out.

Da Silva Costa has a nice touch out to the top of the key. She is a good passer and screener and understands the game very well. Physical on the glass with scoring ability in and around the paint and post areas, Lourdes has the kind of IQ and glue effect to make others better around her.

Austin is an in-state proven winner. She is a floor general who is an exceptional passer and plays with a contagious high motor.

Chambers is a multisport athlete who missed the summer with an injury but should be back to the court soon. She has a strong build as a guard, and her game includes quality floor vision and facilitation, with an ability to get to her spots to knock down jumpers.

Egbuna, who comes from Texas, had a stock-rising summer as her motor really improved to go along with a huge upside.


13. UCLA Bruins

No. 2 P Sienna Betts
Four-star Lena Bilic (Croatia)

Coach Cori Close has landed the best post player in the country in Betts, and gone international with Bilic -- mirroring parts of UCLA's current roster with international players and another Betts (Sienna's older sister, Lauren).

For her part, the younger Betts is dominant on the block, but also so much more. She sees the floor well, facilitating and passing out of double-teams. She can face up and play off the bounce as well as knock down shots out to the perimeter.

Bilic is 6-3 and long, fundamental and versatile. At this year's FIBA U17 World Cup, she averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.


14. Cincinnati Bearcats

No. 8 G Darianna Alexander
No. 57 PG Caliyah DeVillasee
F Kali Barrett (unranked)
G Joya Crawford (unranked)
G Paige Whitted (unranked)

Cincinnati coach Katrina Merriweather has made a national splash for her program by landing multiple ESPNW Top 100 players in the 2025 class, including adding an aggressive punch to the Bearcat perimeter play.

Alexander is a big guard who can play on or off the ball. She pushes tempo as a lead guard and rebounds exceptionally well at both ends. She is a fantastic finisher with contact at the rim.

DeVillasee is quick off the bounce and a crisp passer. She has a nice pull-up jumper in the pick and roll game and transition and continues to improve from the 3.

The 6-2 Barrett has a nice face-up game and range out to the 3-point line. She is a defensive menace and an elite rebounder.

Crawford is 5-8 and can score in bunches. She is a highly decorated 3A state champion out of Tennessee.

Whitted plays at well-known Briarcrest Christian Academy (TN). She is an active defender and rebounder from the perimeter.


15. Iowa Hawkeyes

No. 18 G Addison Deal
No. 70 P Layla Hays
No. 85 F Journey Houston

Having been an integral part of the program's success over the years, Jan Jensen has not missed a beat recruiting-wise in her first year at the helm of the Hawkeyes. All three 2025 commits fit the Iowa system.

Deal is a hard-nosed competitor at the wing. She attacks the rim hard and has long range on her perimeter game. She hunts shots and is not afraid of the big moment.

Hays is a true center who follows in the Iowa tradition of bigs. She has good hands and works the paint and understands her role in that regard.

Houston is an Iowa native who missed significant time over the past year with an injury. However, she is expected back for her senior high school season. An all-around forward, Houston has a strong physical game and fundamental base of skills, particularly in her shot preparation.


16. Utah Utes

No. 26 PG Leonna Sneed
No. 47 G Avery Hjelmstad
Four-star Ella Todd

Coach Lynn Roberts ventured into Texas and Oklahoma to grab players that fit her program well.

Sneed is a pure point guard who looks to set the table for her teammates, but can also attack off the bounce. Defensively, she is one of the best lock-down on-ball defenders in the country.

Hjelmstad knows how to find open catch-and-shoot opportunities and has the quick shot preparation and release to be lethal on the floor. She has an advanced feel for the game which allows her to stay poised and make plays.

Todd can fill it up both from beyond the 3 and with a smooth pull up jumper off the bounce.


17. Auburn Tigers

No. 28 PG Nylah Wilson
No. 59 G/W Brandie Harrod
Four-star F Jakerra Butler (unranked)
W Sasha Joseph (unranked)
P Miracle Akpotayobo (unranked)
F Yuting Deng (China)

Coach Johnnie Harris has landed her highest-ranked recruit ever in Nylah Wilson and a backcourt teammate in Brandie Harrod. These two will bring a dynamic Auburn has not seen yet and round out a class with supporting athletic wings and forwards.

Wilson is an extremely competitive combination type. She is aggressive off the dribble, but keeps defenders honest with her ability to knock down the three -- off the bounce or off the catch. She applies heavy pressure defensively and lurks in the passing lanes waiting to make plays.

Harrod is a slasher out of Oklahoma who had a nice breakout summer as she improved her perimeter shooting. She is a big guard who continues to reach closer to her potential.

Butler is 6-1 and high energy. She works the glass and does the little things that contribute to winning.

Joseph has made big strides in her fundamental game in the past year.

Aktoptayobo is a strong 6-2 forward who contributes defensively and has development upside as a role playing forward.

Deng has solid footwork with a nice catch and shoot game and finishes inside well.


18. Georgia Lady Bulldogs

No. 49 PG Aubrey Beckham
No. 64 F Zhen Craft
Four-star P Meghan Yarnevich (unranked)
Four-star G Jocelyn Faison (unranked)
Four-star G Harissoum Coulibaly (unranked)

This is a big class for Georgia, both in numbers and in size. This group is versatile and athletic and strong, with players from the Bulldogs' own backyard as well as the DMV. Look for the unranked players to make a strong case for top 100 consideration during this high school season.

Beckham is a smooth, fundamental guard with a pedigree of winning at the high school and club level. She can manage a team on the floor or add her own offensive punch.

Craft is long and active with a big upside. She can play at a high pace and makes a major impact on the defensive end and the glass.

Yarnevich is a strong lefty post who bangs inside. She is a physical presence who works for post position and rebounds.

Faison has shown potential in her versatility and ability to score the ball.

Coulibaly is an athletic downhill driver who uses her length and activity defensively to be disruptive.


19. Michigan Wolverines

No. 37 W McKenzie Mathurin
No. 65 F Ciara Byars
No. 99 F Jessica Fields

Kim Barnes-Arico is bringing in a physical and athletic class that will fit the Big Ten style of play. This class also complements her No. 8 ranked 2024 class, which had premier perimeter play and interior athletic ability and potential.

Mathurin is a shooter with a scorer's mentality who moves well without the ball and has the ability to post up and play at the guard or forward spot with her strong build.

Byars is a long and strong forward who, prior to an injury which saw her miss the summer, displayed all-around game and IQ. She can shoot from the perimeter and makes strong drives to the rim. She has a blue-collar glue-like presence on her teams.

Fields operates in and around the paint. She really emerged this summer as she attacked the offensive glass and embraced the activity level needed defensively to be effective.


20. California Golden Bears

No. 24 PG Aliyahna Morris
No. 72 G Taylor Barnes
Four-star G Grace McCallup
Four-star G Isis Johnson

Charmin Smith has brought in the highest-ranking class in recent years to Cal.

Morris is quiet but relentless. She plays well out of the pick and roll, can shoot the ball effectively and brings defensive pressure.

Barnes has a very nice fundamental base of skills. She has a knock-down mid-range pull-up and continues to develop from the three. She showed this summer that she can be assertive and produce on the floor.

McCallup is a 5-10 scorer who can shoot the 3-ball as well as create for herself off the bounce with the pull-up jumper. She is a versatile perimeter defender at her size.

Johnson can fill it up in bunches. She uses her length to get to the rim and will also knock down the spot-up 3. Johnson has quality defensive instincts to go along with her length.


21. Indiana Hoosiers

No. 35 G/W Maya Makalusky
No. 67 PG Nevaeh Caffey

Teri Moren brings in two fundamental backcourt players from the Midwest in this class. They will bring high IQ and versatility to Bloomington.

Makalusky improved her skills off the dribble in the past calendar year. She brings a feel for the game that will allow her to play multiple positions -- and as she adds strength, can be utilized in a number of ways.

Caffey can run a team. She is consistent, with the skills to facilitate or score.


22. Creighton Bluejays

No. 69 PG Ava Zediker
No. 82 W Neleigh Gessert
No. 91 W Norah Gessert
Three-star PG Kendall McGee (unranked)

Creighton adds an extremely skilled class, locking in players right in their region. Coach Jim Flannery has led Creighton to the NCAA tournament three years in a row.

Zediker is a fundamental lead guard who always has her eyes up and makes the right reads and simple plays that make others better. She is a knock-down shooter from 3.

The Gessert twins are long and tall and lethal from deep. They move well without the ball and know how to hunt, catch and shoot 3-point opportunities.

McGee is a 5-10 combo guard type who attacks the paint hard and facilitates with some flair in her game.


23. Michigan State Spartans

No. 33 G Jordan Ode
No. 89 PG Amy Terrian
G Anna Terrian (unranked)

Robyn Fralick tapped into the Midwest region for some elite perimeter play for next season, adding major scoring, facilitation and grit with this trio.

Ode has shown consistency in skill acquisition over the course of her high school career. Once a heavy driver, she has turned herself into a player who can shoot the 3 and create her shot off the bounce. She is a savvy and physical defender as well.

The Terrian twins are the ultimate glue players. They move the ball and facilitate for others -- with assists, extra passes and timely shot making. They are gritty defenders and will do whatever it takes to contribute to the win column.


24. Oklahoma Sooners

No. 50 G Keziah Lofton
No. 62 F Brooklyn Stewart

Coach Jennie Baranczyk adds players, one on the perimeter and the other on the inside, who will fit well in the Sooners' space and pace system.

Lofton is a lefty guard with range who has a combo-guard game -- she can play on or off the ball.

Stewart is an athletic forward who saw her stock rise over the summer as she showed more quality decision making and perimeter skill.


25. NC State Wolfpack

No. 60 G Destiny Lunan
No. 66 G Adelaide Jernigan

Wes Moore brings in two quality perimeter players in this class -- one local, and another who plays very similarly to the scoring guards NC State has now -- who both happen to be left-handed.

Lunan excels in the open court and has a flair to her playmaking skills. She is quick and long and knows how to get to the paint.

Jernigan is one of the premier shooters in the country. She has a strong fundamental base to her game and knows how to play within herself.

Also considered: Virginia Tech, Maryland, USC, Texas, Duke

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