In a year filled with questions about the future of the program, Wisconsin women’s basketball head coach Bobbie Kelsey landed the highest-ranked recruiting class of her tenure.
Wednesday marked the first day recruits could sign letters of intent, and Wisconsin fans should be excited about some of the prospects arriving on campus next fall.
The class consists of six recruits, three of whom are ranked in the top 100 nationally, who should inject some new blood into the struggling program and ease some of the pressure on Kelsey’s hot seat.
Gabby Gregory, a 5-foot-8 guard from Irving, Texas, who should become an impact player the minute she steps on campus, headlines the class. Both ESPN and Blue Star Basketball rank Gregory in the top 60, and her dynamic talent should bolster coach Kelsey’s growing pipeline into Texas.
“We are definitely looking for her to come in and do big things for our program,” Kelsey said. “Gabby is a hard-nosed point guard that shoots the ball extremely well, has great ball handling and playmaking skills to boot. She elevates those around her to play at the highest level because of her love for the game, competitive nature and will to be the best.”
Wisconsin also added size to its frontline by signing 6-foot-3 forward Abby Laszewski from Hartford, Connecticut. Laszewski is a top 75 recruit and should be a familiar name to Wisconsin die-hards. Her father, Jay, played for the men’s basketball team from 1983-86.
“Abby will have the distinct honor of continuing the legacy of being a Badger basketball player as she follows in the footsteps of her father,” Kelsey said. “We had the good fortune to see her play early last year and decided that she had just the right skill set and pedigree to join our program.”
Another name that might ring a bell with fans is Suzanne Gilreath, sister of football player David Gilreath, out of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Gilreath was a lights-out scorer in high school and averaged 28.3 points en route to becoming one of the most decorated 3-point shooters in Minnesota state history.
Joining Gilreath from Minnesota is Courtney Fredrickson from Excelsior. The Star Tribune named her to the 2015 all-state team and she played for the North Tartan basketball program — one of the most competitive AAU teams in the Midwest.
Lastly, at the foundation of any strong Badger team is a strong in-state backbone; the Badgers kept two players inside their borders this cycle. Grace Mueller from Verona and Alona Johnson from Milwaukee should help bolster Wisconsin’s depth next season and be integral parts of the team as upperclassmen.
“Two Wisconsin natives in the 2016 class shows our commitment to keep Wisconsin players here in Wisconsin,” Kelsey said.
