Mulkey signs college women's basketball's No. 1 recruiting class

As the 14th ranked 1-0 Tigers prepare for Thursday’s 7 p.m. home game vs. Mississippi Valley State, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey announced Wednesday her early recruiting period four-person 2023 signing class that is ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN.

All four players in the top 75 nationally of ESPN’s HoopGurlz recruiting rankings led five-star top 10 signees Mikaylah Williams (No. 2 ranked) and Aalyah Del Rosario (No. 7). Also signing were four-star prospects Angelica Velez (No. 44) and Janae Kent (No. 73).

Here’s the breakdown on each signee:

•Williams: She’s 6-foot guard from Bossier City Parkway High who's the reigning Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year. She averaged 22.8 points, 8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals last season leading Parkway to a 34-3 record and a state championship finals game double overtime loss.

Also, she earned two gold medals this past summer when the USA Under 17 team won the FIBA U17 World Cup and the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup (in which she was named MVP).

“Mikaylah is an incredibly special student-athlete,” Mulkey said. “Her immense talent, combined with her unmatched work ethic sets her apart - making her the top player in the country. LSU fans you are in for a treat.”

•Del Rosario: A 6-5 center from Nashville (Tenn.) the Webb School, she and fellow signee Velez led Webb to the Tennessee Division II-A State championship as juniors last season.

Del Rosario averaged 13 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. She was a finalist for the 2022 TSSAA Division II-A Miss Basketball Award and won a gold medal for Team USA in the FIBA U18 World Cup.

“Aalyah has closely followed post players that I have coached in the past and has the capability to be the next great post player at LSU,” Mulkey said.

•Velez: She’s a 5-7 point guard who’s a poised floor leader with shifty ball handling skills. Velez scored 13 points in Webb’s state championship game win last March.

“As a former point guard, I appreciate her ability to make her teammates look great,” Mulkey said. “Her on-court leadership is phenomenal.”

•Kent: The 6-1 forward from Oak Forest (Ill.) High is a two-time South Suburban (Chicago) Conference Player of the Year. She averaged 25 points and 9 rebounds last season she was voted All-State first team.

She’s from a basketball family since her father played for Ohio University, her mother for West Virginia and her brother is currently a starter at Bradley.

“Janae brings much needed size to our perimeter,” Mulkey said. “Her versatility is a huge part of her game. From scoring to rebounding, she can affect the game in a variety of ways with her length.”