Gophers officially sign four players in highly-touted 2026 recruiting class

All four of Minnesota's 2026 commits put pen to paper on Wednesday.

Dawn Plitzuweit (right) and Tory Oehrlein (left) | Picture via: oehrlein33 (IG)

Wednesday was the first day that many high school athletes could officially sign scholarship agreements. Gophers women's basketball added all four players from its highly touted 2026 recruiting class.

Tori Oehrlein, PG (Crosby, MN)

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐚, @OehrleinTori!

🏠 Crosby-Ironton, Minnesota
🎓 Crosby-Ironton High School#SkiUMah | #Gophers〽️ pic.twitter.com/LmejGJt9qc

— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) November 12, 2025

Oehrlein verbally committed to the Gophers on November 8, 2024. The Crosby-Ironton High School standout is viewed as the No. 2 player in Minnesota behind Providence Academy star Maddyn Greenway, who's headed to Kentucky. Listed at 5-foot-11, the latest 247Sports Composite views her as a five-star prospect and the No. 39 prospect in the country. She's the type of player who could contribute very early in her college career.

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Natalie Kussow, G (Hartland, WI)

Kussow is the highest-ranked recruit in Minnesota's class. She's the No. 1 player in Wisconsin and the No. 26-ranked player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. She won the state's Gatorade Player of the Year award as a junior, after averaging 26.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game at Arrowhead High School.

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐚, @NKussow!

🏠 Hartland, Wisconsin
🎓 Arrowhead High School#SkiUMah | #Gophers〽️ pic.twitter.com/BRFUx1dKsZ

— Minnesota Women's Basketball (@GopherWBB) November 12, 2025

Kussow was also among an impressive list of players named to the 2025-26 Naismith Girls’ High School Player of the Year Watch List on Wednesday.

Kylee Paben, F (Omaha, NE)

Minnesota's Midwest recruiting dominance continued with Paben, who's viewed as one of the top players from Nebraska. Listed at 6-foot-1, Paben established herself as one of the best players in the country on the Under Armour(UAA) AAU circuit last summer with Nebraska Attack, where she averaged 19.9 points per game. She plays high school ball with Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska.

so excited for the next chapter! https://t.co/qn6yJudfui

— Kylee Paben (@kylee_paben) November 12, 2025

Adit Kuol, C (Seymour, TN)

Kuol plays her prep basketball at The King's Academy High School in Seymour, Tennessee. Listed at 6-foot-4, she has incredibly intriguing long-term potential.

Congratulations @AditKuol30 on signing with @GopherWBB today! Lots of hard work and dedication have gone into reaching this goal and we couldn’t be happier for you! Can’t wait to watch you this year as a @TKALadyLionsWBB ! #LadyLionsFamily pic.twitter.com/DChVzgkVqj

— TKA Lady Lions Basketball (@TKALadyLionsWBB) November 12, 2025

Minnesota could be losing a lot of production after the 2025-26 season with Amaya Battle, Sophie Hart, Brylee Glenn and Finau Tonga all out of eligibility after this campaign. The Gophers have a bright future with four incredibly talented players joining the program in 2026 under Dawn Pliztuweit and her coaching staff.