Rookie seasons in ladies’s faculty basketball may be unpredictable. Generally overhyped gamers can disappoint, whereas under-the-radar recruits can breakout and make people take discover. Each season although, the freshman class appears to provide new star energy for the game.
Final 12 months was no completely different. Mikayla Blakes made Vanderbilt must-watch by the tip of the season after twice surpassing the 50-point mark and powering the Commodores to the NCAA Event. Sarah Sturdy constantly reminded followers why she was the No. 1 recruit in her class at UConn, displaying her versatile do-it-all skillset and taking part in a key position for the Huskies as they captured the nationwide championship. BYU’s Delaney Gibb shortly established herself as among the best guards within the Massive 12, Syla Swords shined in moments for Michigan, and Tilda Trygger helped N.C. State pivot the course of its season after she entered the beginning lineup.
Freshmen will once more play a task in how the upcoming season takes form. They’ll power narratives to shift, they’ll shock and shock, they usually’ll seize our consideration.
Forward of the 2025-26 marketing campaign, right here’s a fast record of the rookies it’s best to undoubtedly take note of:
Davidson helped Crew USA win gold on the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup this summer season, averaging 14.6 factors, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and three.1 steals per sport throughout seven begins. She’s a talented and versatile 6-foot-2 guard, and he or she’s a giant cause why people anticipate USC to stay in rivalry for the Massive Ten crown this season even with JuJu Watkins sidelined.
Like Davidson, Betts was a key contributor to that U19 workforce this summer season too, averaging a double-double in 27 minutes per sport. Betts was additionally a starter on the Crew USA squad that received the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup. Whereas she’s shorter than her All-American sister Lauren, Betts is extra versatile as a scorer and nonetheless has a knack for rebounding and shot-blocking. The 6-foot-4 rookie might be a giant enhance to a UCLA squad aiming to get again to the Remaining 4.
A 5-foot-11 guard from Texas, Chavez had just about each contending Division I program lining up for her companies. She scored 4,796 factors throughout 4 years of highschool ball, averaged north of 35 factors per sport as a senior, was named MVP of the Jordan Model Traditional, and was tabbed because the Nationwide Excessive Faculty Participant of the 12 months by Gatorade, Sports activities Illustrated and MaxPreps. Regardless of rising up within the shadow of Texas Tech in Lubbock, Chavez picked Oklahoma over affords from the Purple Raiders, South Carolina, LSU, UCLA and Texas. With Chavez aboard and gamers like Payton Verhulst and Raegan Beers coming into their senior seasons, the time to win is now for the Sooners.
Skinner is perhaps the perfect level guard Kara Lawson has ever had since turning into the top coach at Duke. She involves Durham after being named a McDonald’s and Jordan Model All-American, and Skinner additionally featured on that Crew USA U19 workforce with Betts and Davidson. A 6-foot native of Utah, Skinner possesses glorious courtroom imaginative and prescient, quickness and creativity as a ball-handler and shot-maker, and is a strong rebounder for her measurement and place. She selected Duke over affords from Iowa, TCU, Notre Dame and UCLA.
Nyla Brooks, North Carolina
Brooks is a 6-foot-1 guard from Waldorf, Maryland and was ranked thirteenth in ESPN’s high 100 recruits for 2025. She’s a product of Bishop Ireton Excessive Faculty and led it to a state championship as a senior whereas averaging 18.3 factors, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per sport. She’s a participant that UNC head coach Courtney Banghart is already very enthusiastic about, and he or she went head-to-head with Chavez in that Jordan Model sport, piling up 28 factors and 10 boards. Brooks had initially dedicated to Tennessee, however reopened her recruitment when the Volunteers fired former coach Kellie Harper. She dedicated to UNC in August 2024, and the Tar Heels have been anticipating her debut ever since.
A 6-foot, 5-star guard from California’s Mater Dei Excessive Faculty, Deal is ranked because the twenty third greatest recruit in her class by ESPN, however some companies had her rated as excessive because the fifth-best general prospect within the class. Deal was a extremely wanted recruit, holding affords from the likes of Tennessee, North Carolina, Baylor and UCLA earlier than signing with the Hawkeyes. As a senior at Mater Dei, she was a McDonald’s All-American, a finalist for the Naismith Excessive Faculty Participant of the 12 months, and surpassed 2,000 factors for her profession. She may very well be Iowa’s subsequent star at combo guard, able to creating attractiveness for her teammates and pulling down 3-pointers with ease. Sound acquainted?
Dee Alexander, Cincinnati
This 6-foot-1 guard may very well be somebody who modifications the trajectory of the Bearcats’ ladies’s basketball program. Tabbed because the eleventh greatest participant in her class by ESPN, Alexander is Cincinnati’s highest-rated recruit in program historical past and selected to remain in her hometown as a substitute of going to Ohio State or Illinois. She additionally held affords from big-time packages like South Carolina, North Carolina, USC, Notre Dame, LSU and UConn, amongst others. Merely put, Alexander may have performed nearly anyplace she wished to, however selected to remain within the metropolis the place she turned a three-time Ms. Ohio Basketball. The one different participant within the historical past of the award to win it 3 times is Kierstan Bell, who turned an All-American at Florida Gulf Coast earlier than embarking on a WNBA profession. The Bearcats have improved beneath Katrina Merriweather, however they haven’t made an NCAA Event since 2003. Cincy followers hope that Alexander can change that. Her highschool workforce, Purcell Marian, had a 105-10 document with Alexander on the courtroom.
Inés García Monje, Davidson
The 6-foot-2 native of the Canary Islands may create some actual matchup issues for opposing defenders within the Atlantic-10. Since leaving her residence on the age of 13 to pursue a profession in basketball in Barcelona, Monje has featured for the Spanish nationwide workforce at a number of ranges, together with on the 2024 U17 World Cup the place she led Spain in scoring in a victory within the bronze medal sport. She averaged 10.1 factors, 6.7 rebounds and a couple of.1 assists per sport all through that match, catching the eye of a number of Energy 4 packages. The facility ahead who rocks rec specs had dedicated to Wisconsin final fall, however reopened her recruitment after the departure of former Badgers’ coach Marisa Moseley. She signed with Davidson in April, including extra worldwide aptitude to the Wildcats’ roster.
Aaliyah Crump (Texas), Agot Makeer (South Carolina), Grace Knox (LSU), Mia Pauldo (Tennessee), Lara Somfai (Stanford), Brynn McGaughy (Washington), Nastja Claessens (Kansas State), Lena Girardi (Oklahoma State), Jasmine Nivar (Campbell), Nylah Wilson (Pitt)
