Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball wins historic recruiting battle

The latest Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball commit is among the top recruits in program history.

Missouri basketball coach Robin Pingeton during the NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee on Sunday, February 4, 2024 in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wisconsin women's basketball head coach Robin Pingeton is quickly making her mark in Madison.

After assembling her roster for her debut season inside the Kohl Center, the first-year head coach of the Badgers has put an impressive exclamation point on her first three months on the job.

Sunday afternoon, Adaline Sheplee announced her commitment to Pingeton in the Badgers in a post on X. The Rice Lake, Wisconsin native proudly proclaimed she is "staying home."

The 6-foot-3 wing is a highly sought-after recruit in the 2026 class. With scholarship offers from Maryland, Penn State, Louisville, Utah, and North Carolina, among others, Sheplee could have her pick of a program in nearly any corner of the country.

That makes her commitment not only notable, but also a historic accomplishment by Pingeton.

Per a team spokesperson, Sheplee is the second-highest-rated recruit in Wisconsin women's basketball history. Ranked 32nd nationally in her class according to ESPN, only UW's Latonya Sims, 5th in the 1997 class, was ranked higher.

In her introductory press conference, Pingeton noted that Wisconsin "is a great state for women's basketball," and "we have to lock down the borders if we want to bring the Wisconsin program back."

Early in her tenure at UW, the two-time Naismith Coach of the Year semifinalist is delivering on that call to action.

Alongside Sheplee, the Badgers are up to three commitments in the 2026 recruiting class. The other two include Leah Nordin—Shawano High School's all-time leading scorer—and Giselle Janowski—a state champion at Pewaukee High School. That is three-for-three on in-state recruiting.

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