Our espnW rankings have been updated for the Class of 2022, 2023, and 2024. The espnW rankings for the Classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 are updated. While the emphasis is on how players have improved their recruiting stock and moved up in the charts it also focuses on who the No. Each class has the highest-ranked player.
Rankings can change dramatically with each update. There are many theories and questions about why certain players rise or fall.
Our evaluations are based on potential, production, and performance on important matches and big stages. A player ranked No. 1 does not necessarily mean she will be No. 1. Today does not necessarily mean that she will be the No. 1. In the next round.
We break down the players of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 classes, and show how the Nos. In terms of future potential, strengths and areas for improvement, 1 and 2 prospects from each class compare to each other.
Class of 2022
C Lauren Betts
Grandview High School (Colorado)
Ranking espnW 100: 1
Stanford is committed to:
Betts could be called a "throwback", big for what she brings to the table. She is an interior defensive presence, and an offensive player who focuses primarily on the block and in the paint. This is what today's game wants.
Betts recently won gold in Debrecen with the U19 USA team. Betts was the youngest player on the team and the best post player among college players. She averaged 11.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while making 1.9 blocks. Her field goal percentage was 64.7%.
Betts, who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall, does a remarkable job of defensively patrolling the paint and blocking or challenging shots. Betts is an offensive disruptor for her opponents. She is an outstanding player on the boards and when she gets them, she can be a great outlet passer.
She has always been a strong offensive player, with a great touch beyond 15 feet. This was even when she was a freshman. She was a great high/low passer. She has evolved from a player who scored on offensive rebounds or putbacks to one who can make a move with a post-entry pass to score power finishes or jump hooks.
Betts will need more strength in her core and base, but this is normal for a young big. Her free throw percentage needs to increase for a player who has such a great touch.
Guard Kiki Rice is the Class of 2022's second-ranked prospect. Select Events
G Kiki Rice
Sidwell Friends High school (Washington, D.C.
Ranking espnW 100: 2
Uncommitted
Rice is one the most dynamic and athletic guards in her division. Rice is a ball-handler and knows how she can get to her points to score the basket. Rice is quiet and can do her job while her team cheers her on. Rice was named Gatorade Player Of The Year in Washington, D.C. for soccer and basketball.
She was part of the USA U18 3x3 U18 team, which won gold in Debrecen (Hungary) with top-ranked junior Mikaylah Wilkins. Rice was able to withstand the different game style, but it proved difficult to keep track of the 3x3 spacing. In 2019, she won gold with U16 FIBA Americas USA.
Rice is a natural at transition. Rice is a natural in transition. Although she has increased her 3-point scoring, it is still an area that needs to be improved. Rice's aggressive scoring style means that teams pay a lot of attention, which allows her teammates to be set up for opportunities.
Rice's half court game is characterized by her quick first steps and explosiveness in dribble moves as well as ball screens. Rice is looking to improve her game and will be able to read screens more effectively, as well as set up her defender in various actions. She will be able to expand her half-court game as she improves in efficiency. She can also become an elite defender with her excellent footwork and basketball instincts.
2023 Class
G Mikaylah Williams
Parkway High School (Louisiana).
Ranking espnW 60: 1
Uncommitted
It is possible that we will have a historic fight about who is going be the No. We are eager to see the battle for the No. 1 spot in the 2023 class. This class boasts two of the best scoring guards in the nation and most recent memories, drawing comparisons with the 2020 class battle between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark.
Williams won the MVP award at the FIBA 3X3 U18 World Championships in August. She was the youngest player on the roster of four players and showed why she was the best player. She's strong, fast, and can lift with the best. She is 6-foot tall and has the coordination and footwork to excel on the court.
Guard Mikaylah William is the highest-ranked prospect in Class 2023. Brittany Graham
She is skilled in all areas. She is a natural scorer and can also play point guard when her team needs. Williams is creative and can move defenders in open court or half court. Williams can drive with both her right and left hands and is strong and agile at the rim and in the paint.
Williams is able to tell when it's time to jump and when it's time to use her footwork and frame to reach her spot for scoring opportunities. She is often the focal point of opposing defenses and is often double-teamed. Williams is also very precise about where and when to distribute the ball to her teammates.
Williams is a lockdown defender, which is what makes her so special. Williams' focus and effort on the ball and off it set her apart from other students and made her more college-ready than any of her classmates. She is strong and has a great eye for the ball, which allows her to quickly rebound against the bigs and get on the break.
Her consistency and confidence at the 3-point line was her only concern in April. She was able to take shots from deep without any difficulty, whether off the catch or the dribble, by July. This was evident at the Premier Basketball Super 64 Championship match against No. Ciera Toomey, a junior, and her NEPA Elite team were ranked 3. By halftime, Williams had 20 points, including multiple 3s. Williams will have to learn how she manages the attention that comes with being the No. She will have to learn how she handles the attention of being in the No. She should be fine as she is a humble worker.
G Judea Watkins
Sierra Canyon High School (California).
Ranking espnW 60: 2
Uncommitted
Watkins is a very smooth operator. Watkins was a 6-foot guard who was one of the stronger and larger guards in her class. She also showed her scoring skills as early as middle school.
Watkins was a big success at the USA U16 trials 2019. She proved herself against older players by finishing in traffic with ease, and she also managed to pull down many pull-up jumpers. She didn't make the team, but she made an impression. Two years later, she was awarded MVP of the gold-medal USA Under-16 team. She scored 28 points in a victory over Canada.
Watkins' game requires precision and not flash. Watkins is a skilled player and can manipulate defenders to make them fall off balance to reach her spots. She is well-known for her pull-up jumper and is able use hesitations as well as change-of-speed moves to her benefit. Defenders often have to play higher than their opponent at the guard spot. This allows her to attack angles and score points and get to the basket.
Watkins' 3-point shooting has improved over time. When she was younger, Watkins was able drive to the basket at will, scoring on a variety of layups, short pull ups, and and-1 finishes. She made her opponents' range more important as she grew older.
Watkins is a skilled scorer like anyone in her class. However, Watkins must be more defensively focused and not feel pressured into carrying the offensive load for entire games. She was able to improve her understanding of the concept by playing under Vanessa Nygaard, Windward School's coach in Los Angeles. She transferred to Sierra Canyon but will still have many opportunities to improve her game in her junior season.
Class of 2024
F Joyce Edwards
Camden High School (South Carolina).
Ranking espnW 25: 1
Uncommitted
Edwards is difficult to pin down and it is hard to see the whole picture. Although she is naturally a forward, Edwards shows signs of power forward-type playmaking and wing skills. She is a good defender from 15 feet away and can rebound with the best players in the country. She is very difficult to stop from her getting on the offensive glass. Her ability to slide through defenses to get the ball to her is amazing.
Edwards' greatest asset may be her motor. Because she puts in the effort, she can make plays that are not common to the traditional basketball eye. She can defend the 2-5 position defensively. She is a 6-foot-2, lively presence on the court and makes simple, smart plays.
FBC United The Family won the Under Armour 17U circuit title in July thanks to her versatility. When her opponent was trying to protect her from her driving and slashing abilities, she used her mid-range jumper.
Edwards has room for improvement. She needs to improve her handling and be more consistent with her 3-ball. She is only entering her second season but has already shown great potential.
Jaloni Camara, point guard, is the second-ranked prospect for the Class of 2024. Brittany Graham
PG Jaloni Cambridge
Ensworth High School (Tennessee).
Ranking espnW 25: 2
Uncommitted
Edwards and Cambridge were teammates in the 17U championship-winning FBC United The Family team. Cambridge won 18 points in the USA U16 FIBA America championship to win a gold medal against Canada a month later. She is simply a winner.
It is rare to find point guards with Cambridge's range. She sets the defensive tone with her ball pressure and quick hands. She will go 94 feet to grab the opposing guards and make them work for every inch. She is able to pick out opponents' pockets and record steals in passing lane. This can lead her to winning a fast-break race.
She is also very quick and agile, making her difficult to guard. She can change directions quickly and accurately, and is able to shoot it well enough that she keeps defenders off balance. She has shown that she can take down the 3-ball in both catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble situations.
Cambridge suffered an elbow injury during her senior high school season, which kept her sidelined for more than a month. She took the time to study the game's nuances and locked in. It also reminded her of how competitive she is. Don't be surprised to see her push for the No. 1 spot as she gains strength and half-court effectiveness. When all is said and done, she will be the No. 1.
