Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers: 2020 girls basketball recruiting class was best ever

Andrew Nemec | Feb 25, 2025

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) cuts down the net after beating LSU in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament between Iowa and LSU at MVP Arena, Monday, April 1, 2024 in Albany, N.Y. / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink and Hailey Van Lith are undeniably the faces of women's professional and collegiate basketball - not only as on-court stars, but sport and pop culture celebrities.

But there was a time that all of them were simply promising recruits, cluttered at the top of what experts considered to be a loaded 2020 recruiting class.

That's one reason why the 2020 recruiting class may go down as the best in women's basketball history.

The top-seven alone features three transcendent, sport-defining stars, a two-time national title winner, a No. 2 overall pick and the leader of one of the biggest program turnarounds in recent history.

Their collective influence on the game has been undeniable and has forever altered the popularity of women's basketball.

Here's a look at the top of the 2020 HoopGurlz recruiting rankings on ESPN - complete with a look at the careers of each superstar:

1. Paige Bueckers, Hopkins (Minnesota)

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5). David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Following the wildly successful college career of Sabrina Ionescu at Oregon, there was time when folks were asking, "Who will be the next Sabrina?"

A Pac-12 coach privately had the answer "Paige Bueckers."

Turns out, it wasn't much of a secret.

Hopkins (Minnesota) guard Paige Bueckers was the nation's No. 1 recruit in the class of 2020 - and for good reason.

Bueckers led her team to back-to-back undefeated seasons (62-0), averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 steals per game as a senior.

A McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic selection, Bueckers committed to UConn over fellow finalists Maryland, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA.

As a freshman, Bueckers was the unanimous national player of the year - becoming the first freshman to win any of the four most prestigious individual honors.

Strangely, though, she didn't win the freshman of the year award outright (Tamika Catchings Award), sharing it with Iowa's Caitlin Clark in the 2020-2021 season.

Bueckers missed almost the entirety of the next two seasons with a pair of significant injuries, but is a contender for this year's national player of the year award and is projected to go No. 1 overall in the upcoming WNBA draft.

2. Angel Reese, St. Frances Academy (Maryland)

Angel Reese (10) shows Iowa Caitlin Clark her ring finger during the final seconds of the women's 2023 NCAA Tournament national championship game. / Zach Boyden-Holmes / USA TODAY NETWORK

The No. 2 player in ESPN's rankings was St. Frances Academy (Maryland) star Angel Reese.

Reese was a four-year superstar at St. Frances, leading her team to four consecutive IAAM A Conference championships, highlighted by a junior season in which she averaged 22.6 points and 19.3 rebounds per game.

The in-state star committed to Maryland to become the highest-rated recruit in program history.

Following two impressive seasons at Maryland in which Reese was honored as an All-American, she transferred to LSU.

"Bayou Barbie" was born.

At LSU, Reese not only became an unqiestioned superstar, but a celebrity whose reach expanded far beyond basketball.

As a junior, Reese led LSU to a national championship, setting a new SEC-record for double-doubles in a season (34).

She posted 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 102-85 victory over Iowa, led by Caitlin Clark.

In the final moments of the game, Reese waved her hand in front of her face - "you can't see me" - toward Clark before pointing to her ring finger, representing a championship.

The moment not only became a lasting image in collegiate women's basketball, but it solidified a rivalry public discourse about Reese, Clark and women's basketball.

Some loved it, some hated it, but it was a rival moment that seemed to propel women's basketball into a whole new level of public conscienceness.

As a senior, Reese earned her second consecutive first-team all-American honor, leading LSU to an Elite Eight appearance, where they lost to Iowa in a highly-watched rematch of the previous year's title game.

Reese was selected as the 7th pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky and averaged 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Equally notable, the talented basketball star has transcended sports - with more than 5 million followers on Instagram and a show, "Unapologetically Angel."

She is one of the most influential athletes in the world.

3. Cameron Brink, Mountainside (Oregon)

Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22) yells in excitement Tuesday, May 28, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Southridge-turned-Mountainside (Oregon) star Cameron Brink was listed at No. 3 in the ESPN rankings after a stellar high school career.

The athletic post led her team to back-to-back state titles in her freshman and sophomore seasons before a state championship game appearance as a junior, winning Gatorade Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

After transferring to Mountainside for her senior season, Brink averaged 19.7 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.5steals and 2.5 blocks per game, propelling her to McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic invitations.

Brink committed to Stanford over Oregon, UConn and others, setting the stage for an historic Pac-12 career.

She was honorable mention all-conference as a freshman, Pac-12 Player of the Year as a sophomore and second-team all-American honors as a junior.

In her final collegiate season, Brink earned Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

She was selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks and suffered a season-ending injury as a rookie.

Prior to the injury she averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, flashing a lofty ceiling that leads many to project she will be a future perennial all-star in the WNBA.

Like so many others in the class of 2020, Brink's influence extends well beyond the court.

She was the first female basketball athlete to sign a deal with New Balance and is a brand ambassador for both Urban Decay and Gorjana., also boasting several other major endorsement deals.

4. Caitlin Clark, Dowling Catholic (Iowa)

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, left, poses for a photo with Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder as they hold their Big Ten regular season championship trophy after a NCAA Big Ten Conference women's basketball game against Michigan, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark is arguably the most marketable women's athlete in the world.

But she was the No. 4 prospect in the class of 2020.

In high school, Clark was an all-state selection all four years, culminating in a remarkable senior season in which she averaged 33.4 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

After originally committing to Notre Dame, Clark was a rare "flip" in women's college basketball - far less common than in men's basketball - electing to stay home at Iowa.

Almost immediately upon stepping on campus, Clark's performances became the stuff of legend.

She averaged 26.6 points, 7.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman, finishing first nationally in scoring and second in assists.

Still, Clark shared national freshman of the year honors with UConn's Paige Bueckers.

It was only the beginning.

Clark would go on to be the all-time leading scorer in women's basketball, pouring in 3,951points, along with a whole host of other records - average points per game over a career (28.42 points), points in a single season (1,234 points), three pointers made in a season (201). career three-pointers (548), career assists, assists per game, free throws made, free throws attempted and many more.

Clark won two national player of the year awards and her popularity and influence helped raise the public awareness and interest in the women's game.

Arguably the most popular women's basketball player in history, Clark's biggest games shattered previous records for most television viewers for the sport.

That popularity led to attendance records and historic endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, Bose, Buick and a host of other companies.

Clark was selected with the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever and finished her rookie season as an all-star, averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

The former Iowa star is undeniably the face of women's basketball.

5. Kamilla Cardoso, Hamilton Heights Christian Academy

South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso (10) reacts to a possession call during an NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee on Thursday, February 15, 2024. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The least recognizable name among the top-five prospects, Kamilla Cardoso has lived up to her billing - even if she isn't the same level of celebrity as Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark.

Cardoso originally committed to Syracuse coming out of high school and was the ACC Freshman of the Year, but she made her mark after transferring to South Carolina.

Cardoso helped lead South Carolina to national championships in her sophomore and senior seasons, culminating in a final year in which she was named the tournament's "Most Outstanding Player."

She was selected third overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, behind only Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink.

In her rookie campaign, Cordoso averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Chicago Sky.

6. Diamond Johnson, Neumann-Goretti (Pennsylvania)

Diamond Johnson / Courtesy of Diamond Johnson

Diamond Johnson's high school resume matches the players above her on this list.

She was snubbed by the McDonald's All-American Game, but earned an invitation to the Jordan Brand Classic and was the first female athlete invited to compete in the Roundball Classic, Allen Iverson's men's all-American game.

Johnson was heavily recruited by North Carolina State, North Carolina and others, but committed to Rutgers.

After an all-conference freshman season, she transferred to North Carolina State.

Johnson was the sixth person for the Wolfpack her first season, but still managed to earn All-ACC honors in her sophomore and junior season.

This year, she is playing her final collegiate season at Norfolk State, where she is averaging 19 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

7. Hailey Van Lith, Cashmere (Washington)

TCU's Hailey Van Lith shoots against Texas Tech in a Big 12 women's basketball game Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at United Supermarkets Arena. / Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Like Diamond Johnson, Hailey Van Lith has played for three different colleges during her career.

But her popularity, influence and basketball talents have fallen in line with the likes of Clark, Reese and others.

Van Lith was a prolific scorer during her high school career, setting the all-time state record. during a senior season in which she filled up the stat sheet - 32.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.2 steals per game.

Van Lith committed to Louisville and made an immediate impact, leading the Cardinals to an ACC title as a freshman and the Final Four as a sophomore.

After an all-American junior season, Van Lith transferred to LSU and the Tigers were No. 1 in the preseason but lost in the NCAA tournament to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

The game, one of the most watched women's basketball games in history, was a difficult one for Van Lith, who had an uneven performance, leading to widespread criticism about her game.

Fair or not, Van Lith needed a fresh start in her fifth season and found it with Mark Campbell at TCU.

This year, she is averaging 17.4 points, 5.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, seemingly regaining her confidence and swagger in the process.

Since Campbell's arrival, TCU has turned from a conference doormat to a national title contender.

TCU is ranked No. 10 nationally and boasts a 26-3 record.

The leaders of that effort on the court? Former Oregon star Sedona Prince and Van Lith.

8. Other notables

South Carolina Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao (0) drives past UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

While the class begins to taper off slightly, there are still several big-name stars near the top of the list.

Aaliyah Edwards (No. 25) was the sixth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Te-Hina Paopao (No. 11) was the starting point guard for South Carolina's 2024 NCAA title team and several other top-50 players have made a major impact on their respective college programs.