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Mikaylah Williams tops Class of 2023 basketball recruiting rankings

(Mercedes Oliver/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

With each new recruiting class comes the opportunity to dive into another wave of standouts.

Now that the school year is nearing an end, we’re shifting our attention to this impressive group in the Class of 2023. We pored over game film, social media and local and national news to compile our first-ever Top 25 women’s basketball recruiting rankings.

Our mission is to keep you abreast of the all of the movement and trends as we move through the 2022-23 NCAA recruiting calendar. We hope you’ll follow along.

1. Mikaylah Williams, 6-1 guard — Parkway HS (La.)

The reigning Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year was also the only junior to be a Naismith Player of the Year finalist. Williams is a shot creator whose success is predicated on patience and speed.

2. Juju Watkins, 6-2 guard — Sierra Canyon (Calif.)

Watkins made an immediate impact as an incoming transfer to Sierra Canyon in 2021-22. She averaged 24.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game and was a major factor in the team’s state championship victory. Watkins was named California Girls Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year.

3. Breya Cunningham, 6-4 post — La Jolla Country Day (Calif.)

Cunningham’s strong post presence provides La Jolla Country Day with a formidable scoring option. The post averaged a double-double this season and has already surpassed 1,000 career points in her high school career.

4. Ciera Toomey, 6-3 post — Dunmore HS (Pa.) — UNC commit

Toomey, who committed to North Carolina last week over Duke, UConn, Maryland, Northwestern, Penn and Villanova, shot 67.2 percent from the field during her junior season. She averaged 18.5 points per game.

5. Milaysia Fulwiley, 5-6 point guard — W.J. Keenan HS (S.C.)

Fulwylie has a reputation for breaking defenders’ ankles, and in this year’s South Carolina state title game, the explosive floor general dropped 41 points. It marked W.J. Keenan’s — and Fulwiley’s — third straight state championship.

6. Ashlynn Shade, 5-10 guard — Noblesville HS (Ind.) — UConn commit

Shade committed to UConn in January, and the Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year has garnered national attention for good reason. This season, she averaged 20.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.7 steals per game, and tied an all-time high with 31 points in the 4A Indiana state championship.

7. KK Arnold, 5-10 point guard — Germantown HS (Wisc.) — UConn commit

This year’s Wisconsin Girls Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year is also committed to UConn. Arnold is a reliable ball-handler with a 2.68-to-1 assists-to-turnover ratio.

8. Madison Booker, 6-1 wing — Germantown HS (Miss.)

Booker plays with high speed and intensity. Her USA Basketball experience and ability to control the pace of a game have attracted the attention of some of the nation’s top programs. Her list includes UConn, Louisville, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

9. Jadyn Donovan, 6-0 guard — Sidwell Friends School (D.C.)

One of the nation’s top guards, Donovan scored 15 points in the Quakers’ State Champions Invitational title game victory. She’s a contributor all over the floor, averaging 15.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 1.9 blocks during Sidwell Friends’ dominant 30-0 season.

10. Reniya Kelly, 5-5 point guard — Hoover HS (Ala.) — UNC commit

Kelly’s “Broadway” nickname is well-earned; the UNC commit seems to always put on a show. She’s quick and difficult to guard, and she’s never intimidated to take it to the basket. Kelly can also knock it down from deep and shoots over 41 percent from beyond the arc.

11. Aalyah Del Rosario, 6-5 post — Trenton Catholic (N.J.)

Del Rosario plays a complete game, finding ways to shine while also creating opportunities for her teammates. She attacks the interior with consistency, and her ceiling is high.

12. Courtney Ogden, 5-11 wing — Westminster School (Ga.) — Stanford commit

Ogden, a Stanford commit, has the basketball IQ to thrive with the Cardinal, but her versatility and confidence would make her an asset to any program. Ogden can play as a guard or a wing.

13. Taliah Scott, 5-9 guard — Saint John’s Country Day (Fla.) — Arkansas commit

A beacon of offensive efficiency, Scott entered her junior season with more than 1,100 career points. In 2021-22, the Arkansas commit averaged 31.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.4 steals per game.

14. Chloe Kitts, 6-2 forward — DME Academy (Fla.)

Kitts was a key piece for national power DME this season, averaging 18.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. In the GEICO Nationals semifinal against victorious Montverde Academy, nobody scored more points than Kitts. She delivered a double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds.

15. Letycia Vasconcelos, 6-7 post — Montverde Academy (Fla.)

The tallest recruit on this list brings length and the ability to finish beneath the basket. Originally from Brazil, Vasconcelos has the strength and toughness in the frontcourt to make her an intriguing NCAA prospect.

16. Sammie Wagner, 6-1 wing — Ronald Reagan HS (Texas) — Texas commit

Once a Baylor commit, Wagner is the top-ranked junior in the state of Texas. She averaged 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game last season.

17. Cassandre Prosper, 6-2 forward — Cairine Wilson Secondary School (Ontario)

Prosper is a fighter on both ends of the floor. The dynamic forward is a reliable shooter with a wide wingspan.

18. Hannah Hidalgo, 5-6 point guard – Paul VI HS (N.J.)

With 25.4 points and 4.0 points per game, Hidalgo stands out in a competitive New Jersey scene. She’s a distributor who can step up as a scorer when the team needs her.

19. Jada Williams, 5-6 point guard – La Jolla Country Day (Calif.) — UCLA commit

Williams led La Jolla in assists last season with 4.1 per game. The first commit in UCLA’s Class of 2023 has a knack for finding the basket, even in heavy coverage.

20. Delaney Thomas, 6-2 forward — St. John’s (D.C.)

One of the class’ most balanced players, Thomas averaged 17.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 2.2 steals per game this past season in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, one of the nation’s most stacked leagues.

21. Montaya Dew, 6-2 forward — Centennial HS (N.V.) — Arizona commit

Dew can impact the game in the frontcourt and around the perimeter. Regardless of where she is, she often finds a way to score.

22. Amiyah Reynolds, 6-0 guard — South Bend Washington (Ind.) — Maryland commit

An integral part of Washington’s state title team, Reynolds averaged 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game this past season.

23. Taylor Woodson, 6-0 guard — Hopkins HS (Minn.) — Michigan commit

An athletic game-changer from Hopkins … where have we heard that before? Woodson is strong off the bounce and unafraid in traffic.

24. Amanda Muse, 6-4 post — Heritage HS (Calif.)

Muse performs at an advanced level below the rim, averaging 17.1 points, 10 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game for Heritage high school this season.

25. Essence Cody, 6-3 post — Valdosta HS (Ga.)

Cody surpassed 1,000 career points in January and has the ability to score inside and out. The talented post averaged 17.6 points, 13.6 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game this past season.

Caroline Makauskas is a contributing writer for Just Women’s Sports. She also writes about college basketball for Blue Ribbon Sports and covers a variety of sports on her TikTok @cmakauskas. Follow her on Twitter @cmakauskas.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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