5-star women’s basketball recruits Kaleena Smith, Jacy Abii lead stacked UA Next Elite 24

Nicole Mullen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The top women’s hoopers are competing this weekend, with over a dozen of five-star recruits in attendance.

Under Armour Next Elite 24 is set to kick off on Thursday, with the three-day event stemming over the next three days, ending with a televised contest between the top men’s and women’s basketball players in the country on Saturday.

There will be 24 women’s players in attendance, with 18 players ranked as five-star recruits, including eight within the Top 10 of their respective classes.

Let’s break down those Top 10 recruits by class, which includes some heavy-hitters across the board.

2025

Divine Bourrage

Five-star Divine Bourrage kicks off the list as the No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2025, according to ESPN, and the highest-rated rising senior in attendance at the Under Armour Next Elite 24 event.

Standing 5’10”, the guard attends Davenport North High School in Davenport, Iowa, and is a strong scorer, while maintaining the ability to play both guard positions.

Bourrage likes to attack the rim, but has also developed as a shooter, making her a three-level scorer and a threat to score at any area on the court.

One of the top uncommitted recruits in the 2025 class, Bourrage recently set a Top 6 of Arizona, Baylor, LSU, Illinois, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech.

She was named the Gatorade Iowa Player of the Year this season as a junior after averaging 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game en route to leading Davenport North to the Class 5A state tournament quarterfinals.

She’ll be looking to play at a high level at the showcase this weekend, with a number of high-end programs after her talents.

ZaKiyah Johnson

Five-star ZaKiyah Johnson, the No. 7 recruit in the Class of 2025, according to ESPN, will also be in attendance at Under Armour Next Elite 24 this weekend, serving as the other Top-10 recruit in the rising senior class to play.

Standing 6’0”, the guard attends Sacred Heart Academy in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and has been one of the most sought-after prospects on the recruiting trail since her freshman year.

Johnson is a three-time Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year, averaging 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game in 2023, while helping lead Sacred Heart to a fourth-straight state championship.

One of the top uncommitted recruits in the 2025 class, Johnson has set a Top 6 of South Carolina, LSU, Louisville, Kentucky, USC and Notre Dame.

2026

Olivia Vukosa

The 2026 class is where things get really spicy at the Under Armour Elite 24, with four Top 10 recruits playing at the showcase.

That starts with five-star Olivia Vukosa, ranked as the No. 2 player in the 2026 cycle, as well as the top big in the entire class.

Standing at 6’4, the forward/center attends Christ The King High School in New York, and has seen her recruitment blow up with interest from a number of top schools in the country, such as Texas, UConn, UCLA, LSU, South Carolina, and others.

Powerhouse schools LSU and South Carolina especially stand out, given their recent success in college basketball, but there’s a clear interest nationwide in the No. 2 recruit in the class.

This past season, Vukosa averaged 18.2 points, 14.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game, but her standout performances came at the 2023 FIBA U16 European Championships, where the forward averaged 22.6 points and 17.1 rebounds per game while playing for Croatia.

Vukosa will not only be one of the best recruits in attendance at the UA Next Elite 24, but she will be the tallest among the women at 6’4”.

Jacy Abii

Following Vukosa, five-star Jacy Abii, the No. 3 player in the Class of 2026, will also be in attendance this weekend.

Standing at 6’1”, Abii has played for Liberty High School in Frisco, Texas, and went viral in 2023 for posting a video of her dunking a basketball during a workout.

Initially seen on the recruiting trail back in eighth grade with her first offer, Abii has become one of the best recruits in the entire nation, holding over 40 total offers.

Last year, she played on the 2023 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team, starting every game and averaging 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. The team ultimately went 6-0, winning a gold medal at the U16 Championships.

Lacy was also recently announced as a member of the 2024 USA Women’s U17 National Team.

For Frisco, the talented guard averaged 20.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game in 2023, while leading her team to a second-straight Class 5A title.

Saniyah Hall

The fourth-ranked player in the class, Hall, who stands 6’1, attends the Laurel School in Lorain, Ohio, and is the top-ranked recruit in the state.

Similarly to her peers, Hall has racked up an impressive offer list that includes scholarships from South Carolina and UConn, among other schools.

It has been an impressive first two years of high school for the rising junior, as Hall averaged 21 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 4.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game as a freshman, cementing her status as an elite all-around player.

That earned her Division III first-team All-Ohio honors, while Hall was also a finalist for Ohio Ms. Basketball.

This past season, the guard improved even more, averaging 25.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.4 steals and 1.1 blocks, upping her efforts across the boards, while maintaining her abilities on the defensive end. Once again, she was a finalist for Ohio Ms. Basketball.

Now, heading into her junior year, Hall will look to maintain her status as an elite recruit in the 2026 class, while taking Laurel to further heights.

Oliviyah Edwards

We’re not done with the 2026 cycle just yet, as five-star Oliviyah Edwards, ranked as the No. 7 player in the class, will also be in attendance this weekend.

Edwards, who stands 6’3” and attends Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington, is one of the top forwards in the class.

However, while she can play in the post, Edwards is a threat from deep, as she knocked down 51 percent of her threes as a freshman, while averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Her athleticism and size especially stand out, with video of her ability to dunk stemming all the way from middle school, which makes her such an intriguing player, given the ability to stretch the floor as well.

Edwards recently dropped a list of her Top 10 schools, which included Duke, Florida, Florida State, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Tennessee, Washington.

2027

Kaleena Smith

You can’t talk about women’s high school basketball and not mention phenom five-star Kaleena Smith, who is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2027.

Standing 5’5”, Smith attends Ontario Christian High School in Ontario, California, and has received upwards of two dozen scholarship offers already, despite being only a freshman.

She put up video game-like numbers as a freshman, averaging 34.9 points, 6.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 steals per game, while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from deep on high volume.

Not only has Smith proven to be a talented scorer and capable distributor, but the guard is also a strong on-ball defender, playing with a high level of intensity.

While many question her size, Smith proved herself with a strong freshman year, and will look to add to that with a good showing at the UA Elite 24 this weekend.

Ivanna Wilson Manyacka

Both of the top recruits in the 2027 cycle will be in attendance this weekend, as Ivanna Wilson Manyacka, the No. 2 recruit in the class, is set to play in the showcase as well.

Standing 6’2”, the five-star guard attends Bullis School in Frederick, Maryland, and has already racked up 40 scholarship offers as a freshman.

She is one of the best two-way prospects in high school basketball, asserting herself on both sides of the court.

As a freshman, she averaged 15.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game for Bullis, while shooting at a 72 percent clip and hitting 58.8 percent of her threes on 68 attempts.

Wilson Manyacka was selected to the 2024 USA Women’s U17 National Team, which competed this past month, playing an age group up, while mainly seeing action at the forward and center spots, rather than her normal position of guard.

Now, she’ll get another tough challenge this weekend, playing with rising juniors and seniors as she looks to show her talents as one of the best high school players in the country.