Noblesville girls basketball star Ashynn Shade has numerous Division I offers at her doorstep, and one of the most successful programs in the country has joined that list.
The University of Connecticut, winner of 11 NCAA national championships, has given an offer to Shade, it was announced on Tuesday night. The news was posted on a tweet from the Nike Lady Gym Rats account, a youth baseball league team on which Shade plays.
The Millers junior-to-be has seen her stock go up considerably after a remarkable sophomore season that saw her average 23.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Shade led Noblesville to its first sectional title since 2015, including a 36-point performance in the championship game at Zionsville.
Shade’s rapid improvement during her sophomore year vaulted her to No. 5 in the espnW Class of 2023 rankings. In a May story on the ESPN website, Shade was listed as “the biggest stock riser in the 2023 class.” It noted her ability to “catch fire” from 3-point range and inside the arc, her quickness and versatility, and her “knack for creating space and finding an opportunity to get her shot off.”
Before UConn threw its hat in the ring, Shade already had offers from over 10 schools, including in-state programs Indiana University and Notre Dame, other Big Ten schools such as Maryland, Iowa and Michigan, and other storied programs like Louisville and Tennessee.
Shade is one of four Indiana players on the espnW Top 60 list for the Class of 2023. The others are two players from South Bend Washington, No. 15 Amiyah Reynolds and No. 53 RaShunda Jones, and closer to home, No. 57 Laila Hull from Zionsville.
Two Hamilton County incoming seniors are listed on the Top 100 roster for the Class of 2022. Westfield’s Alyssa Crockett is No. 47, while Carmel’s Kate Clarke is No. 96. Both have committed to the University of Michigan.
Meanwhile, another Noblesville player has received several offers. Incoming sophomore Reagan Wilson is being recruited by a handful of Division I schools, including Indiana State University, Oakland University (Rochester, Mich.), IUPUI and the University of Toledo.