Where Kentucky WBB targets sit in ESPN's updated recruiting rankings

Kenny Brooks has been hard at work trying to shape the future of women’s basketball at Kentucky. He has offered some of the best prospects across the world, and now, we’re really starting to see just how good of players that Kentucky is going after.

Of course, we have our own recruiting rankings at Rivals, but ESPN’s Shane Laflin has gone through and made huge updates to the SportsCenter NEXT rankings. There were some major shifts amongst Kentucky targets.

Six of the top 12 in 2027 are on Kentucky’s radar

The 2027 class has a number of Kentucky targets near its top. Sydney Savoury, who is seemingly one of Kentucky’s top targets on the recruiting trail, has risen to No. 8 overall, making her the second-best guard in her class. She is just behind Haylen Ayers (No. 6 overall), another Kentucky target.

6-foot-2 wing Ivanna Wilson Manyacka is Kentucky’s highest-ranked target still on the board, coming in at No. 2 overall.

Several Kentucky targets rose up the boards big-time. 6-foot-4 forward Lisa Sirgi, who hails from Canada, is now a borderline top 50 player in the class. However, some (most notably De’Andra Minor) have slid down the rankings over time. Still, Kentucky targets dominate the 2027 class as a whole.

Kentucky is going after the best recruits in 2028

When Brooks first arrived in Lexington, he started making very early offers to class of 2028 prospects, and clearly, he has an eye for talent because those prospects are now among the best in high school basketball.

Kentucky did just bring in Maddyn Greenway, but why have just one five-star point guard from Minnesota when you can have two? Chloe Johnson, who has been on Kentucky’s radar for years now, sits at No. 2 overall in the 2028 class. She took a visit to Big Blue Madness back in 2024.

Sydney Douglas, another top target for Kentucky, is just behind Johnson at No. 3 overall. Nyajuacni Riak, a 6-foot-2 forward from Wisconsin, is the biggest riser in the class thus far, shooting all the way up to No. 4 overall, making her the second-best forward in the 2028 class, just behind Douglass. Five-star point guard Morghan Reckley rounds out the top five in 2028.

Two in-state targets make 2029 Terrific 25

Finally, we have some actual numbered rankings for the 2029 class, and believe it or not, some prospects from Kentucky’s backyard highlight the class. 6-foot-6 post (what ESPN calls a center) Jayden McClain, who Brooks and the staff offered very early on, is now tabbed as the No. 12 overall recruit in the class. The Ryle standout is the top center in the class. She has taken multiple visits to Kentucky at this point.

John Hardin has a Kentucky target in the rankings as well. Charlotte McCurry, who was just recently offered by Kentucky after visiting back in January, is the No. 24 overall recruit and fourth-best wing in the 2029 class.

A third Kentucky target (not from Kentucky) also made the rankings. Carib Morris, a 6-foot-1 forward from Georgia, ranks the highest of the three potential future Wildcats in the class, placed slightly above McClain at No. 11 overall.

Rundown of prospects offered by Kentucky

2027

• 5-star wing Ivanna Wilson Manyacka – No. 2 overall, No. 1 wing – Bullis (MD)
• 5-star post Caroline Bradley – No. 3 overall, No. 1 post – Oak Grove (LA) – Committed to LSU
• 5-star guard Haylen Ayers – No. 6 overall, No. 1 guard – University School of Jackson (TN) – Included in top 5
• 5-star wing Micah Ojo – No. 7 overall, No. 2 wing – Princess Anne (VA)
• 5-star guard Sydney Savoury – No. 8 overall, No. 2 guard – Belleville (MI)
• 5-star wing Jordyn Palmer – No. 9 overall, No. 3 wing – Westtown (PA)
• 5-star guard Ryan Carter – No. 12 overall, No. 4 guard – Friends’ Central (PA)
• 4-star forward Sydney Mobley – No. 29 overall, No. 10 forward – Big Walnut (OH) – Not included in top 3
• 4-star guard De’Andra Minor – No. 41 overall, No. 12 guard – Grind Prep Academy (OK)
• 4-star guard Madeline Mignery – No. 45 overall, No. 14 guard – Cardinal Mooney (FL)
• 4-star forward Lisa Sirgi – No. 53 overall, No. 13 forward – Fort Erie (Canada)
• 4-star wing Nakhai Worthy – Unranked – Holy Innocents’ Episcopal (GA)
• Forward Isabella Marion – Unranked (international) – Denmark

2028 (Super 60)

• 5-star point guard Chloe Johnson – No. 2 overall, No. 1 point guard – Marshall (MN)
• 5-star forward Sydney Douglas – No. 3 overall, No. 1 forward – Centennial (CA)
• 5-star forward Nyajuacni Riak – No. 4 overall, No. 2 forward – La Follette (WI)
• 5-star point guard Morghan Reckley – No. 5 overall, No. 2 point guard – Sandy Creek (GA)
• 5-star wing Ella Peper – No. 7 overall, No. 1 wing – Dexter Southfield (MA)
• 5-star guard Arianna Robinson – No. 10 overall, No. 3 guard – Plano East (TX)
• 4-star guard Erin Thomas – No. 15 overall, No. 8 guard – Princeton (OH)
• 4-star guard Jhaliana Guy – No. 16 overall, No. 9 guard – Bettendorf (IA)
• 4-star guard Janiyah Hargrave – No. 17 overall, No. 10 guard – Fairmont (OH)
• 4-star wing Khloe Nicholson – No. 19 overall, No. 2 wing – Quincy (IL)
• 4-star guard Dakhari Blankumsee – No. 21 overall, No. 12 guard – Winton Woods (OH)
• 4-star point guard Easton McCollough – No. 40 overall, No. 5 point guard – Farmington (AR)
• 4-star guard Payton Caudle – No. 52 overall, No. 21 guard – Fayetteville (AR)
• 4-star point guard Taylor Williams – No. 54 overall, No. 7 point guard – Bullis (MD)
• 4-star forward Leah Awe – No. 58 overall, No. 14 forward – Stevens Point Area (WI)
• Wing Tara Nachbar – Unranked – Western Reserve Academy (OH)
• Forward Aisha Grace van Stein – Unranked (international) – Netherlands

2029 (Terrific 25)

• 4-star forward Carib Morris – No. 11 overall, No. 1 forward – South Forsyth (GA))
• 4-star post Jayden McClain – No. 12 overall, No. 1 post – Ryle (KY)
• 4-star wing Charlotte McCurry – No. 24 overall, No. 4 wing – John Hardin (KY)

2030

• Guard Claire Stoops – Unranked (No rankings for 2030 yet) – IMG Academy (FL)

(via ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT Rankings)