There are just under 20 five-star recruits in the ESPNW Class of 2026. Three players committed well before the 2025 summer recruiting period began, and as the July live period wound down, another one hit: No. 1 Saniyah Hall announced Friday she would suit up for USC in 2026-27. More announcements should begin to trickle in during the fall.
With rosters more fluid than ever due to the increased focus on the transfer portal and the new era of revenue sharing, high school prospects must think more carefully about their future college landing spot. We won’t see these players in a college uniform for another season, but we can still make some informed projections. How will they fit in their chosen system? What’s next for those programs that have signed these top-tier talents? We’ll try to answer all these questions here.
Bookmark this page, as we will update this list and add key analysis every time a five-star recruit announces a commitment.
Last updated: July 25, 2025
See the full ESPNW 100 Class of 2026 rankings here
2026 ESPNW 100 Ranking: 1
Committed to: USC Trojans
Background: Hall announced her commitment to USC on ESPN’s NBA Today. She went straight from her official visit at USC to the ESPN studios to break the news, choosing the Trojans over UCLA and North Carolina. She dominated at Montverde (FL) last season and has transferred closer to home to Spire Academy (OH) for her senior year of high school.
Hall was recently named the MVP of the U19 FIBA Women’s World Cup held in the Czech Republic, where Team USA won gold once again. Her production was quite impressive, as she averaged 19.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.9 SPG. She shot 52.6% from the field through the tournament, including 39.3% from behind the arc.
How she fits: Hall will join a 2026-27 roster that will include Jasmine Davidson (also on the gold medal-winning U19 squad), JuJu Watkinsand 2025 FIBA Americup Gold medalist Kennedy Smith (No. 6 in the ESPNW 100 class of 2024).
The interchangeability and scoring prowess of this combination will be hard to compete against in women’s college basketball. They will have a WNBA/European style feel to the roster. Each of these players has their own niche, but all of them can handle, score and defend at a high level. USC will look to further bolster its interior play in this 2026 class, and is targeting No. 2 recruit Oliviyah edwardswho visited campus officially earlier in the calendar year.
How Hall must adjust: Hall will arrive on campus talented enough to contribute immediately — there was even talk of considering a reclassification into the 2025 class. However, she will still need to make adjustments to her game, primarily on the defensive end, as a wing who will likely log some minutes at the forward spot (like she did primarily for Team USA). Hall has always been the focal point offensively for her teams — and while that aggressiveness will serve her well at all levels, she will be joining a roster that has Watkins, arguably the best scoring guard in the country. So, Hall will need to learn how to play with other truly elite players, possibly taking some of the load off of Watkins as she returns to the court from her ACL injury.
How USC is positioning itself in the recruiting race: The signing of Hall shows just how strong of a brand the Trojans have built in recruiting, particularly within the imprint of the new Big Ten landscape. The USC staff managed to keep JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 recruit in 2023, close to home, had the No. 1 recruiting class in 2024, landed the No. 1 player in 2025 (Jasmine Davidson) — and have done it again with Hall. All signs point to the Trojans being a recruiting powerhouse.
2026 ESPNW 100 ranking: 11
Committed to: Kentucky Wildcats
Background: The 5-foot-8 multi-sport athlete (basketball, soccer, track) chose Kentucky over finalists Iowa, Duke, Clemson, UCLA, and Stanford in November. It was a massive win for Wildcats coach Kenny Brooks, who now has two five-stars commits (No. 18 Savvy Swords).
Greenway is one of the most decorated high schoolers to come out of Minnesota, with state championships in all three sports, and just won a gold medal with the 2025 USA Women’s Basketball U19 World Cup team. She’s also the reigning Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year. Her mother, Jenni, ran track at Iowa (and is now her high school track coach) and her father, Chad, played 11 years in the NFL after starring at linebacker for the Hawkeyes.
MADDYN PULL UP JUMPER 💦 @maddyngreenway # Usabwu19 x #FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/m3WF8NIfV5
– USABJNT (@USABJNT) July 16, 2025
How she fits: Kentucky’s point guards must be major playmakers, and Brooks is getting just that in Greenway. She puts immediate pressure on the defense and scores at all three levels. She’s the ultimate competitor defensively, applying ball pressure and all-out hustle in rotations.
What’s next: Greenway will be tasked with becoming the next star point guard for Brooks, much like Georgia Amoore, who led Virginia Tech to a Final Four under him in 2023 before both moved on to Kentucky. Brooks is hoping to build Kentucky in a similar method in Year Two.
2026 ESPNW 100 ranking: 17
Committed to: Michigan State Spartans
Background: Williams’ path to becoming one of the top post players in the country was different from many on this list: she was homeschooled until this upcoming season (where she will attend Howell High School in Michigan), and she played for independent club program Michigan Mystics P24 rather than for a shoe circuit team. She is not only good now, but has more potential to reach: At 6-foot 5, Williams can dunk the basketball.
Five-star Michigan State commit @LillyAWilliams is getting it done on both ends at Super Showcase 🔥@MImystics pic.twitter.com/OmxUpVMTqZ
— Select Events Basketball (@SelectEventsBB) July 10, 2025
How she fits: Williams committed to Michigan State in early 2024. She had offers from most of the Big Ten, and then some. She will join the program as the tallest player on the roster, and will be expected to anchor a defense that prides itself in pressure and creating turnovers. As a mobile and strong interior player, Williams will give the Spartans a true center to play through. The program will still look to sign a point guard and scoring guard to round out the class.
2026 ESPNW 100 ranking: 18
Committed to: Kentucky Wildcats
Background: The younger sister of Michigan guard and Canadian Olympian Syla SwordsSwords is a Canadian national team staple when not playing at Long Island Lutheran in high school. She missed most of the 2024-25 high school season and summer with a knee injury, but has rehabbed successfully. She brings a winning pedigree from everywhere she plays, from high school to FIBA competition. She committed to Kentucky over finalists South Carolina, UCLA, Michigan, and Notre Dame.
How she fits: The 6-1 younger Swords will be able to log minutes at the wing or forward spots and potentially be very interchangeable with 2025 McDonald’s All-American signee Kaelyn Carroll. She is a confident shooter and facilitator from the perimeter, but plays with the physicality needed inside. She and Maddyn Greenway are a great early tandem of commits for the Wildcats.
