Emporia State head women’s basketball coach Brian Ostermann has added five players to his 2024 recruiting class. The list includes two transfers and three freshmen. The transfers include:
Makenna Clark (Ankeny, Iowa) – sophomore, guard, Wayne State College – Clark played in four games for the Wildcats before transferring to ESU at semester; averaged 9 ppg with 3 rpg as a senior at Ankeny Central in 2022-23 for a Jaguar team that finished 18-7 and made the Iowa 5A state tournament semifinals.
Kenadi Rising (Rapid City, S. D.) – senior, guard/forward, Abilene Christian – Averaged 1 ppg and 1 rpg in 23 games as a junior last season with the Wildcats; began collegiate career as a two-year starter at Highland CC averaging 13 ppg with 7 rpg for the Scotties; a 1st team all-conference player for Stevens High School leading the Raiders to a runner-up finish at state as a senior.
The high school senior signees are:
Lexsey DeWitt (Emporia) – guard, Emporia High – 1st Team All-Centennial League, KBCA All-State Honorable Mention after averaging 9 ppg, 2 rpg, and 2 apg for a Lady Spartan team that finished fourth in this year’s 5A state tournament.
Kaylin Noonan (Burlingame, Kan.) – forward, Burlingame – Unanimous 1st Team All-Lyon County League, 1st Team All-State (Sports in Kansas, KSHSAA Covered, KBCA) after averaging 21 ppg, 9 rpg, 5 apg, 5 spg this past season for the Lady Bearcats while scoring over 1600 career points with more than 700 career rebounds.
Aaliyah Smith (Tulsa, Okla.) – forward, Tulsa Union – All-District, All-Tulsa World Honorable Mention as a senior averaging 9 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 bpg for the Redhawks.
ESU is set to return its top three scorers from last year’s team with graduates Faith Paramore and Katie Horyna along with Emporia product Gracie Gilpin. The Lady Hornets finished 14-16 last year and fell in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament. Assistant coach Tyrie Hill-Thomas announced via twitter that he would be stepping away from the program after one season in Emporia. Graduate assistant Paige Talbott previously left the school to become the head girls basketball coach at Salina Central.