With two Top 20 and three Top 100 signees, the Lady Lions recruiting Class of 2015 looks to be one of the highest-ranking classes in program history. ESPN/HoopGurlz ranked it the No. 11 recruiting class in the country. This continues the hot streak started yesterday started by the men’s team, who also signed arguably its best recruiting class in program history.

Head coach Coquese Washington praised her staff’s recruiting efforts, saying: “I think it’s a testament to the work our staff has done in terms of identifying the level of talent that we like here, but doing the work in terms of building a relationships and getting these kind of caliber players here at Penn State. So, I’m excited about the future of Lady Lion basketball.”

“This class has all the makings of being a high impact class for our program,” Washington said. “Kia, Itoro, Jocelyn and the rest of the staff did a fantastic job of bringing in a group of ladies that are a great fit for Lady Lion Basketball. This class features size, speed, athleticism and scoring prowess, and I am confident they will excel.”

Here’s a breakdown of the Class of 2015:

Amari Carter:

Position: Guard

Size: 5-8

Hometown: Washington D.C.

Rating: The 31^st overall recruit according to ESPN/HoopGurlz

Carter averaged a total of 17.5 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game for St. John’s College High School. She led the team to a 17-5 record and the 2014 DC State Athletic Association Championship. Last season, she was named to the Washington Post All-Metropolitan first team, and has participated with the USA Basketball U16 (2013) and U17 (2014) teams.

Coach Washington’s Comments: “She’s a really smooth player, and she can score in a variety of different ways.”

Jaylen Williams

Position: Center/Forward

Size: 6-4

Hometown: Braintree, Massachusetts

Rating: Williams is the 17^th ranked post player based on ESPN/HoopGurlz

Due to a knee injury, Williams did not play in her junior season. As a sophomore she averaged 8.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 4.3 assists per game for Archbishop Williams High School. In 2013, she she helped the team to a 23-5 record and a Massachusetts Division-3 State Championship. She comes from an athletic family: her father Brett played in the NFL for 11 years, and her brother Brennan played for the Houston Texans. Her other brother Carmen is a junior linebacker for Ohio State.

Coach Washington’s Comments: “She brings a toughness and athleticism that we like.”

Because Carter and Williams submitted their Letters of Intent before Washington’s press conference on Wednesday, she was able to talk about the two players. Due to NCAA recruiting rules, Washington wasn’t allowed to talk about Page and Thomas, since the two had not turned in their Letters of Intent before the press conference.

“[Carter and Williams] are both really fun kids, and they love Penn State,” said Washington. “They love the idea of playing for Penn State, and they both fell in love with Penn State very early, so it’s been fun watching their game grow, and watch them grow as young ladies. They’re really going to be dynamic players on the court.”

Teniya Page:

Position: Guard

Size: 5-7

Hometown: Chicago Heights, Illinois

Rating: Page is the 21^st recruit according to ESPN/HoopGurlz

Page averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game during her junior year at Marion Catholic. She was an All-State selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, and led her team to a third place finish in the Illinois Class 4A playoffs.

Coach Washington’s Comments: “Teniya is a point guard in every sense of the word. She keeps opponents off-balance with her ability to set up teammates and score at will. She has incredible court vision and a very high basketball IQ.”

Ashanti Thomas

Height: 6-5

Position: Center/Forward

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

Rating: 17th ranked post player by ESPN/Hoopgurlz

Thomas averaged 9.2 points and 8.2 rebounds during her junior year, and led Lafayette High School to a 29-4 record. She is on the Kentucky Miss Basketball watchlist, and earned third team All-State honors last year.

Coach’s Washington’s Comments: “She has a soft touch offensively, and can play effectively in both the low and high post. She will certainly be able to handle the rigors of Big Ten post play.”