2024 women’s rankings: Updated top 25 classes
Credit to Author: Shane Laflin| Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2023 16:59:29 EST
Signing week has come and gone and now college commits are now college signees. The signing parties are over and the commitment announcements are now all behind us.
The perennial power programs have staked their claim to the prized recruits in the class of 2024. They are all shifting the bulk of their focus to the 2023-2024 season at hand but recruiting never ends — especially in today’s climate. We have a rare development in this class having five top 25 players decide not to sign during the early signing period. They will be hotly pursued until the April signing period.
Here are the ESPNW top 100 players yet to announce their decision: No. 1 Sarah Strong. No. 3 Jaloni Cambridge, No. 10 Mikayla Blakes, No. 21 Mackenly Randolph, No. 22 Kiyomi McMiller and No. 47 Vivian Iwuchukwu.
Let’s analyze the top 25 recruiting classes in the country in women’s college basketball.
Highest ranked commit: W/F Kennedy Smith (No. 6)
Smith headlines a massive class for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. Not only have they signed six players, but five of them are top 100 caliber players — three of which landed in the top 30.
Smith is a physically gifted athlete that brings a lot to the floor. She can guard anyone from inside to the perimeter with her strength and lateral quickness. She attacks the glass and is an extremely tough matchup because of her physicality inside coupled with her ability to catch and shoot the 3 at a high percentage, but also slash off the dribble to the rim.
No. 28 Kayleigh Heckel is a guard from New York who brings an immediate increase in tempo to the floor. She pushes the ball and is extremely effective in transition and then turns around and pressures the opposing ballhandlers for 94 feet. Heckel gets to the rim well and has a nice pull-up jumper.
No. 23 Avery Howell is an ultra-competitive guard and wing who leaves it all on the floor. She has long had the reputation as a hard-nosed defender and rebounder, but over the course of the last year, she really expanded her offensive game to well beyond the 3-point line. She brings a leadership intangible to the locker room that is coveted everywhere.
No. 53 Rian Forestier is a guard that can shoot it from the 3. Her team-first mentality brings a glue quality to the program. She has a fundamental base of skills that allows her both to facilitate and score.
No. 89 Laura Williams, an active and athletic forward with an upside, is a physical defensive presence and cleans things up around the paint offensively. She is mobile and can run the floor and guard multiple positions.
Brooklyn Shamblin, a three-star guard from California, is a lefty guard that can knock down the 3 and facilitate.
Gottlieb landed multiple top 100 commits in the 2023 class and follows up with the same in the 2024 class. They are in the mix for one more top 100 caliber player as well.
Highest ranked commit: F Joyce Edwards (No. 2)
Dawn Staley landed the most coveted player in the state and bolstered that with a speedy point guard from the DMV and a major post presence out of Texas.
Edwards is a stat stuffing forward who chose to stay close to home with her commitment. She is a force on the glass and has expanded her touch to beyond the 3-point line. She is a poised and intelligent player who not only does her job scoring and rebounding, but facilitates well in action for her teammates. Defensively, she can switch out onto perimeter players which adds to her versatility.
No. 12 Madisen McDaniel is extremely quick and practically gets to the paint at will. She is unafraid of physicality and relentless off the dribble with a shiftiness that is hard to guard. She has improved in her shooting and finishes extremely well with contact. Her Bishop McNamara team is a perennial top 25 program in the ESPNW Power Rankings.
No. 26 Adhel Tac is one of the most coveted post players in the country despite missing the majority of the last year with a foot injury. She was not very public about her recruitment process, despite the attention she received from programs across the country. Tac is long and can move well laterally and run the floor. She has shown flashes of being a strong passer. This could be a sneaky good get by Staley and South Carolina because of Tac’s major upside.
Highest ranked commit: F Kendall Dudley (No. 14)
Cori Close tapped into Sidwell Friends for a couple more highly rated recruits in the 2024 class. She also landed the home grown Avary Cain and went overseas to land a special lead guard.
Dudley is an elite utility player who fills a lot of holes on the floor and her approach to the game makes teammates better. Kendall can lead the offense or play at the wing or forward position. She has proven to be able to guard perimeter players as well as bigger forwards. She is an excellent passer and decision maker. She also played with star guard Kiki Rice in high school at Sidwell Friends in DC.
No. 24 Cain is a lefty 6-foot-1 guard who has been a steady riser over the last couple of years. Known as a shooter, she has improved her ability to create her own shot and get to the rim. Cain has excellent footwork and consistency in her shot prep and release.
No. 27 Zania Socka-Nguemen is an athletic interior presence that does all the little things coaches love from the forward position. She is a good finisher with both her left and right hands, is a physical rebounding presence and a great screener, and makes an impact defensively with her motor, length, and effort. Her skills have shown gradual growth, particularly over the last calendar year. She and Dudley are long time teammates in both high school and club.
UCLA tapped into the European market in getting a commit from five-star Finnish guard Elina Aarnisalo, a 5-9 floor general. She is strong and tough with fundamental skills and can knock down the 3 and create off the bounce.
Highest ranked commit: F Justice Carlton (No. 7)
Carlton is an active forward who dominates on the glass. She is comfortable putting the ball on the floor and creating in the face-up game or pushing the ball full court after defensive rebounds. She is able to stretch the floor on the offensive end because she is a threat in catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities. Carlton has a knack on the defensive end for getting her hands on the ball in passing lanes and using her physicality for an advantage.
No. 8 Jordan Lee has a reputation for being a lock-down perimeter defender. Over the last couple of seasons, she has shown a steady improvement on the offense end — particularly in the areas of creating her own shot and a higher percentage from the 3.
No. 43 Bryanna Preston is a quick point guard who excels in defensive ball pressure and pushing the ball in the fast break. She breaks down defenses off the dribble and creates for teammates.
This is a very complementary class for the style of coach Vic Schaefer and the Texas program. They all play with a defensive prowess and have a requisite physical toughness for their conference move to the SEC.
Highest ranked commit: F Toby Fournier (No. 9)
This class solidified the Blue Devil interior for years to come.
Fournier is the dunking sensation from Canada and will bolster Duke athletically inside. The 6-2 forward sprints the floor with ease, blocks shots all over the floor and skies for rebounds. She can push the ball and has improved her touch from 15 feet and out over the last year.
No. 19 Arianna Roberson is a long and agile forward or center with an incredible upside. Roberson gracefully runs the floor and protects the paint with her ability to move and rise up to block shots. She has touch out to the 3 and brings a competitive calm to the floor with her relentless motor and steady energy.
No. 83 Jenessa Cotton is a hardworking forward who does most of her work inside. She has good hands and a nice touch as well as advanced footwork in the post.
Head coach Kara Lawson went oversees to round out this class when they signed Belgium guard Louann Battiston. She is a fundamental point guard who is known for her shooting prowess from deep.
Highest ranked commit: G Allie Ziebell (No. 4)
Geno Auriemma adds two perimeter players who fit the UConn style of spacing, shooting, and interchangeability.
Ziebell is a 6-foot guard who is a poised and calm competitor. She has an extremely fundamental base of skills, particularly her shot. She uses efficient dribbles to create space for her own shot or to create opportunities for teammates. Ziebell is an excellent decision maker and reads the floor well. She was one of the youngest members of the U19 Women’s World Cup team that won gold in Spain over the summer.
No. 18 Morgan Cheli out of Archbishop Mitty in California is a utility wing that raises the level of competitiveness on the floor when she steps in between the lines. She has a slasher game with a nice pull-up jumper and she has complemented that with an improving shot from long range.
Another year, another highly rated recruiting class of Geno Auriemma. They are in the mix for a final piece to their class as well.
Highest ranked commit: G Syla Swords (No. 11)
This is an extremely talented and balanced class for the Wolverine program. They have added elite perimeter play and versatility in the 2024 signees.
Swords is a player with experience playing all over the world with different levels of the Canadian National Team program. She plays an extremely challenging schedule with her Long Island Lutheran team and with her Kia Nurse EYBL team in the summer. Her summer of 2023 was one of the best in recent memory. She is an all-around player and a three-level scorer. She brings a glue-like intangible to her teams and makes others better.
No. 15 Olivia Olson brings a versatility and an IQ to the floor that will allow her to play multiple positions at the next level. She is a big guard, wing or forward who can play on the ball or off the ball. Olson’s game can be utilized in ball screens, post-up situations, and also to space the floor with her ability to knock down the 3.
Four-star Mila Holloway is a shifty point guard who primarily creates for others and keeps everyone involved.
Three-star Te’Yala Delfosse is a 6-3 forward with a lot of potential. She is long, crashes the glass and has a respectable handle and 3-point ability.
Aaiyanna Dunbar is a forward/center who brings a work ethic and high-academic quality to the roster. Coach Kim Barnes-Arico has a history of developing bigs in her program and Dunbar looks to follow in those footsteps.
Barnes-Arico is bringing in five complementary and cohesive players to bolster her 2024 class and it will serve them well as the Big Ten takes on new members who play different styles.
Highest ranked commit: G Lexi Blue (No. 38)
Kenny Brooks’ recruiting class brings a gem from Portugal in 6-foot-6 post player Clara Silva. If she was a player in the US, she’d safely land in the top 10 in the recruiting rankings. She is mobile with a nice touch, smoothly moves without the bal, and has an array of footwork and finishing around the rim. She will be a nice replacement as they finish their last season with WNBA projected lottery pick, Elizabeth Kitley.
Blue is a big guard with serious range on her 3. She has grown in her game incrementally throughout her prep career. Even since the summer, she has proven to have a quicker release and really locked into the finer points of being a scoring threat on the floor.
Three-star Maya Hazelton is a long 6-4 forward or post player who runs the floor well and has shown a defensive prowess in and around the paint altering shots.
Highest ranked commit: F Ava Heiden (No. 40)
Lisa Bluder has a system that rewards skills, shooting, and ball movement and these players can do all of that. Iowa landed four top 100 players in this 2024 group.
Heiden is a very fundamental post player with a strong base and very good skills. She can play out of the post or on the perimeter and is one of those players that helps with the flow of game plans and schemes and she makes others better. Heiden is very patient, poised and has a good understanding of the game.
No. 58 Aaliyah Guyton is a combo guard with a reputation for scoring the ball, but do not let that keep you from noticing her point guard abilities as well. She is solid in the pick-and-roll and proved this summer that she can make others better. Defensively, she is very solid — always in stance and does a nice job of keeping the ball in front and understanding help rotation.
No. 64 Teagan Mallegni, a knock down shooter, is crafty with the dribble and has a nose for the boards.
No. 91 Taylor Stremlow, also a knock down shooter, plays well within herself and has a very good understanding of the game overall.
Highest ranked commit: PG Alivia McGill (No. 16)
Kelly Finley brings in her most highly regarded signing class since she took over at Florida. McGill is a true point guard who excels in the transition game and is very effective in the pick-and-roll. She has added more consistency from the 3 in the last year as well as added to her finishing package — particularly with her left hand — at the rim.
Callie Levin is a three-star guard out Solon High School in Iowa. She is tough, quick and skilled on the perimeter.
No. 33 Me’Arah O’Neal is a versatile forward who is known for her shot from the 3-point line. Over the course of the summer, she proved her commitment to the physicality inside more with her defensive prowess and commitment to the glass. She is a very good weak side shot blocker. It is well known that she is the daughter of Shaquille O’Neal and her development and recruiting experience was detailed in a feature published on her signing day.
Kylee Kitts is a home state signee for the Gators who reclassed up to head to Gainesville early. She is a lengthy forward with an all-around game. She shows a competitive fire that will serve her well in a versatile role for the program.
Highest ranked commit: F Kennedy Ume (No. 42)
Ume is a major physical presence inside with a very strong base. She attacks off the dribble well in the face up game. She carves out space for rebounds and leaves her mark on the floor, particularly in the paint.
No. 44 Shay Ijiwoye is a point guard out of the Phoenix area. She pressures the ball well defensively and has really taken her game to the next level over the course of the last year as she became a better game manager at the point guard position.
No. 86 Harper Peterson is a stretch forward who has quality face up game and the ability to knock down the 3. She is a quality facilitator as well.
Tara Vanderveer is known for landing quality bigs and point guards and she has done that in the 2024 class.
Highest ranked commit: G Indya Davis (No. 66)
Coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson is in her second season leading the Georgia program and she has landed four top 100 signees in this class. Davis is a crafty all-around guard who can play multiple positions. She moves well without the ball and has a nice pull up jumper as well as 3-point shot.
No. 73 Trinity Turner is a shifty and skilled guard who can put the ball in the basket. She changes pace well and understands the nuances of spacing and attacking angles.
No. 77 Jamia Woolfolk, an active forward who had a stock rising summer for the Boo Williams program, improved her effectiveness on the glass and her face up game. She brings a competitive approach to the floor what will help her team.
No. 93 Summer Davis is the twin sister of Indya. She, like her sister, has a very fundamental base of skills that will provide scoring and flow to the Georgia offense.
Highest ranked commit: G Leah Harmon (No. 31)
Harmon is a combo guard who is a major threat in catch and shoot 3-point situations. She has also proven to be an excellent passer when her focus is facilitating and running a balanced attack. She has a strong base and a tight handle and has played a lot of elite basketball to prepare herself for the next level.
No. 39 Ahnay Adams is a dynamic playmaking guard from the Massachussets. She had a great run with her club this summer highlighted by a tournament winning performance in July. She has the ball on a string and a knack for scoring the ball.
Four-star Simone Pelish is a crafty guard who thinks the game and has all the answers fundamentally.
Coach Katie Meier has played a multiple guard lineup several times in the past and this class follows that philosophy as they are all very perimeter oriented.
Highest ranked commit: PG Zamareya Jones (No. 17)
This class brings in a little bit of everything for Wes Moore and the Wolfpack.
Jones is a small, quick playmaking guard who creates with the best in the country. She is dynamic and shifty off the bounce and knocks down the 3-ball with range. Defensively, she is tough on the ball and has great instincts as she reads the floor.
No. 49 Devyn Quigley is a sharp shooting wing with a good frame and size. She is a crafty scorer and a solid perimeter defender.
Lorena Awou is a center out of Illinois who stands at 6-5 and is long with a strong base. She finishes with a high release point with her right and left hands, rim runs, and clogs the paint.
Highest ranked commit: G Kyndal Walker (No. 36)
Walker is lightning fast in the open court and uses her athleticism to finish in a variety of ways around the rim. She has proven to be effective in the pick-and-roll and a spaced floor system. She changes pace well and her activity level on the defensive end pays dividends.
No. 45 Breanna Williams is the unique combination of being very physical inside, but having a soft touch out beyond the 3-point line. She rebounds well in and around the paint, and has nice footwork on her face up game.
Ava McKennie is a four-star 6-foot-1 forward out of Pennsylvania. She runs the floor well and has a nice slasher game with upside.
Coach Brenda Frese has proven to be able to put a lineup on the floor that takes advantage of versatility and these players give her the chance to do that again.
Highest ranked commit: G Taj Avant-Roberts (No. 25)
Coach Jeff Walz has had dynamic scorers in the past and he adds two in this class.
Roberts is an all-around guard who increased her recruiting stock over the last year when she became a better shooter from the 3 — making her a three-level scorer. She uses the shot fake as well as anyone in the country. She is poised and does not allow the defensive pressure to speed her up. She uses her length well to get in passing lanes and create scoring opportunities on the other end.
No. 87 Izela Arenas is the daughter of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. She brings an immediate scoring punch to the floor. She is quick and agile and can finish at the rim in a variety of ways. She proved to have an effective 3-point shot this summer in a couple of performances where she absolutely caught fire.
Louisville is in the mix for several of the remaining top 100 players as well.
Highest ranked commit: G Katie Fiso (No. 32)
Fiso is a leader on the floor at the guard position. She is shifty off the bounce and changes pace well. Oregon utilizes a lot of ball screens and she excels in those situations — reading the layers of the defense and attacking accordingly or whipping the ball to where it needs to go. Fiso is a point guard with good size and as her shooting from deep continues to improve, she will leave her mark at the next level.
Ehi Etute is a four-star player out of Luxembourg. She is a versatile and active forward who excels on the glass and is effective attacking off the bounce in face up situations. She is physical and brings a high motor to the floor. She has a wide variety of international competition on her résumé.
Coach Kelly Graves is known for recruiting elite point guards and has tapped into the European market in the past for quality forwards. He has done so again this year.
Highest ranked commit: C Blanca Thomas (No. 30)
Courtney Banghart brings in a balanced class of signees with her 2024 class. Thomas is one of the best bigs in the country and stands at an intimidating 6-5. She protects the paint and is a tough cover on the block. She also has a sweet stroke from the 3.
No. 68 Jordan Zubich is a knock down shooter from Minnesota. She hunts down shots well and provides a fundamental floor spacer for the Tar Heels.
Highest ranked commit: G Danielle Carnegie (No. 48)
Coach Nell Fortner brings in a trio of complementary perimeter players to add to the roster next year.
Carnegie is a scoring guard who can score in a variety of ways. She is crafty off the bounce and can create her own shot in small space. She is a creative finisher at the rim as well.
No. 79 Chazadi Wright is a small, but feisty point guard. She pressures the ball well defensively and reads the floor well. She has proven over the summer to be a player who will take and make big shots.
No. 99 Tianna Thompson is a skilled guard who excels in catch and shoot situations and improved her ability to create her own shot.
Highest ranked commit: G Ava Watson (No. 51)
Kevin McGuff has landed size inside and versatility on the perimeter in the Ohio State signing class.
Watson is a dynamic combo guard who can catch fire from deep. She is good in a fast-paced system and does a solid job of pressuring the ball defensively.
Ella Hobbs is a physical presence inside. She carves out space for rebounds and finishes well on dump off passes. She is starting to realize some of her potential and with the resources of strength and conditioning at the collegiate level, she can continue that climb.
Seini Hicks is a wing out of Ohio who brings a savviness and versatility to the floor particularly defensively.
Elsa Lemmila is a 6-6 center from Finland. She is a strong paint presence on both ends with touch out to the free throw line.
Highest ranked commit: G Zya Vann (No. 46)
Coach Jennie Baranczyk has added two of the best in state prospects to the Oklahoma future in this class.
Vann is a scoring guard who can really catch fire. She is quite effective off the dribble and finds creative ways to score in the mid-range and at the rim. She will bring instant offense.
No. 70 Caya Smith is a slashing athlete who brings a defensive intensity to the floor. She is a threat to score with the way she runs the floor and attacks the rim hard off the dribble on direct drives.
Highest ranked commit: F Kayla Nelms (No. 50)
Nelms is a stretch-forward that can spread the floor, but also battle inside. She has great hands and is a good passer. She does not get sped up and keeps her poise on the floor versus defensive pressure and more athletic opponents.
No. 71 Ines Goryanova is a shifty point guard who can catch fire from the 3. She’s slightly built — do not let that fool you — but is competitive and sharp on the floor. She is crafty and smart with the ball in her hands and makes others better.
Highest ranked commit: F Kamryn Mafua (No. 54)
Coach Charmin Smith adds scoring impact and depth in an important class for Cal.
Mafua is a floor spacing forward who really excels on the glass. She had a great summer shooting the ball and her focused efforts defensively and on the glass really stand out.
No. 76 Zhara King is dynamic off the bounce and creates for herself and teammates. She is good in one-on-one situations and in the open court.
Gabrielle Abigor is a forward who does the dirty work. She runs the floor, defends and rebounds. There is potential for continued improvement.
Lola Donez, a club teammate of Abigor, is a fundamental guard who takes particular pride in guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.
Highest ranked commit: F Juliann Woodard (No. 59)
Coach Robyn Fralick taps in to the Midwest to sign a trio of players in the Spartan signing class.
Woodard is a utility forward who can really shoot the ball and is a fantastic passer. As the pace of games increases as well as more teams playing with more focus on space and freedom, these players are proving to be more valuable.
No. 90 Sinai Douglas is a tough-nosed point guard. She sees the floor very well, has a tight handle, is a scoring threat from three and the mid-range, and is a pest defensively.
Hellen Holley is a four-star athlete who brings high activity and motor to the floor as a forward. She will add a defensive stopper and versatile option to the program.
Highest ranked commit: G Xamiya Walton (No. 52)
Walton is a sniper from the 3. She has a consistent base and a smooth stroke and complements that by being crafty and smart off the dribble — creating for teammates.
No. 57 Tayla Thomas is a physical force inside. She really rededicated herself over the course of her junior high school season and into the summer to the physical effort aspects of the game. She found herself contributing on the glass, defensively and in the scoring column in that role for her team.
Claire Keswick is a spot up 3-point shooter as a W/F. She has good size at 6-foot and fights on the boards and defensively.
Also Considered: Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Notre Dame, Clemson, Washington, West Virginia, Villanova, BYU, Syracuse, Mississippi State.