USC’s No. 1 Nationally Ranked Recruit Officially Joins the Trojans

One of the USC Trojans five-star freshmen, forward Saniyah Hall, has officially joined the team and is on campus.

Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb claps her hands as she walks off the court after the Trojans defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs in an NCAA Tournament second round game at Galen Center. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

It was a less than ideal season for the Women of Troy last season, finishing with an overall record 18-14 and a second-round exit while missing their star player in JuJu Watkins. In the midst of the downyear, there were beams of light – the emergence of Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith locking down the perimeter, hope for Watkins’ return and the need for front court help.

Coach Lindsay Gottlieb attacked the 2026 offseason by signing the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the nation (ESPN) and two top-rated players from the transfer portal. Headlining the 2026 class is Gottlieb’s third-consecutive No. 1 recruit, Saniyah Hall, who is now on campus and has officially joined the program.

Feb 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her players celebrate defeating the UCLA Bruins at Galen Center. The Bruins came into the game ranked #1 in the country. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

let’s work. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/3EUNsjjAf4

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) June 9, 2026

Saniyah Hall: Five-Star Forward 

The Ohio native split her high school career between three different schools. 

Hall spent her first two seasons at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio. As a freshman, Hall averaged 22.6 points, eight rebounds, 2.3 assists, 3.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. She elevated her game another level the following season with 25.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, three assists, 3.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

Then she played her junior year at Montverde Academy (Fla.). In 28 games, Hall averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Her performance won her MaxPreps National Junior of the Year and First Team All-America honors.

Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Saniyah Hall (2) during the McDonalds All American Girls Game at Desert Diamond Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In 2025, Hall represented the U.S. in the FIBA U19 World Cup and won gold. During the seven-game tournament, she averaged 19.9 points (a USA U19 record), 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.9 steals. She won the U19 World Cup MVP and was selected to the All-Star Five.

For her senior year, the 6-2 forward went back home and played at the SPIRE Academy. She went on to be named in the 2026 Naismith Trophy Girls' High School Player of the Year Midseason Team, surpassed 20,00 career points and was selected to the McDonald’s All-American Game where she won MVP.

Incoming Players from Recruiting Class and Portal

Joining Hall from the 2026 recruiting class is five-star forward-center Sara Okeke and five-star forward-wing Sitaya Fagan. 

Okeke is originally from Spain but played her senior year in the states at DME Academy (Fla.). That season, Okeke had a total of 379 points, 163 rebounds, 24 steals and 26 blocks, which led the conference while leading the team to the 2026 Chipotle National Championship. The 6-4 forward-center also earned All-Defensive Team honors and has FIBA experience – FIBA U18 Women's EuroBasket MVP and gold medal.

Apr 7, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Sitiya Fagan dribbles the ball during a World Select Team practice at the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit | Nike

Fagan, another international star, comes from Australia. Fagan is a graduate from Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) and spent the majority of her career with the Australian national team (2023-2025). She won gold three times – 2022 FIBA U15 Women’s Oceania Championship, 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship 2023 Division A, 2025 FIBA U17 Women’s Oceania Cup – and silver once in the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup.

Out of the transfer portal, USC landed former UC Davis guard Ryann Bennett and former Florida State center Pania Davis. Each new addition is expected to make an instant impact or possibly make the starting-five.

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