WBB: Five-Star Indiana Recruit Ashlynn Shade Commits To UConn
The Connecticut Huskies will be throwing Shade come the 2023-24 women’s basketball season.
Five-star recruit Ashlynn Shade announced her commitment to UConn through social media on Wednesday morning, coinciding with the Huskies’ visit to her home state of Indiana to battle the Butler Bulldogs in Indianapolis. Shade is currently a junior at Noblesville High School and becomes the second member of the class of 2023 to announce her Connecticut commitment, following KK Arnold in November.
“I am continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut!” Shade said in her posted statement, which opens with grateful notes to her family, team, coaches, training staff, and more. “I am truly grateful to join the UConn family!! LET’S GO HUSKY NATION!! [sic]”
Shade visited Storrs last weekend and was among those who witnessed UConn’s 63-55 win over Creighton on Sunday at Harry A. Gampel Pavillion. Among the runner-ups in Shade’s search are local schools Indiana and Notre Dame, as well as Louisville, Stanford, and Tennessee, all of whom currently rank with the Huskies in the top ten of the Associated Press’ most recent rankings.
According to MaxPreps, the 5-foot-10 Shade currently paces the Noblesville High School Miners in points (20.8 per game), rebounds (9.1), and steals (3.9). Shade has generated rave reviews for her scoring prowess and ranks fifth in the 2023 HoopGurlz recruiting rankings posted on ESPN.com (fellow 2023 Arnold ranks eighth on the same list).
In addition to her high school endeavors, Shade has also worked with Nike Lady Gym Rats national traveling team. Danny Riego, head coach of the team’s U17 program, told Gene Swindoll of 247Sports that Shade’s abilities are reminiscent of Jackie Young, a Notre Dame star who later became the top pick of the WNBA Draft when the Las Vegas Aces chose her with the first choice in 2019.
“She is as gifted of a scorer as I have seen. What makes her scoring ability great is she does it at all three levels. She shoots the three extremely efficiently. She has a mid-range game. And her athletic ability allows her to post against smaller guards,” Riego said in July 2020. "Because she is a 2023 (graduate) you don't want to put unrealistic expectations on her, but she demands it. She wants to be the best. She works really hard. She is extremely coachable. I have stopped telling college coaches that she is going to be really good. I have started telling them she is really good.”
Shade is the Huskies’ second incoming Hoosier State recruit, joining 2022 arrival Ayanna Patterson of Homestead High School in Fort Wayne. Ironically, Shade and Patterson’s schools squared off in November, with Shade’s Miners prevailing in a 68-49 final. The Connecticut-bound pair led their respective side in scoring, with Shade (10-of-17 FG) just prevailing in a 25-24 advantage.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
