Basketball might not be on the front of the mind for most people during the summer months, but that isn’t the case for some of the best players in Iowa.
For the last few months, several of the top girls players in the state played AAU ball, competing with and against some of the country’s top ballers. For several of those players, that offseason work resulted in Division I offers.
From Jhaliana Guy to Jayla Williams, several Iowa high school girls basketball players seized the opportunity to rise in the recruiting rankings. The Des Moines Register spoke to some of those athletes to hear their perspectives about why they rose in the recruiting world.
Here are some of Iowa’s top rising recruits in girls basketball.
Names are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Offers listed are current as of Aug. 1 at 10 a.m.
Libby Fandel, Sr., Xavier
Playing for the All Iowa Attack – especially when they go 15-0 on the EYBL circuit – tends to make athletes a bit more noticeable to college coaches.
Fandel was one such player, landing offers from Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, TCU and Kansas. That last offer from a Big 12 team stuck, and Fandel committed to the Jayhawks on July 29.
On top of the offers, Fandel found herself in the top 50 – No. 41, to be exact – in ESPN’s top 100 rankings for the 2025 class. The rankings, though, don’t really matter to her.
“It’s really cool,” Fandel said. “But I try not to really think about that.”
The rising Xavier senior chose Kansas for its coaching staff and for the opportunity to play in the Big 12. Kansas is a basketball school, after all. But why did the Jayhawks choose Fandel?
“They really liked how I shot the ball and my fast-paced offense,” Fandel said. “I think they just liked my energy, how I work hard, how I’ve gotten better on defense and my range with my 3-pointer.”
Macy Comito, Jr., Carlisle
Comito jumped onto the high school scene the moment she stepped onto the court for Carlisle. It didn’t take long for the rising junior to be considered among the state’s top players.
That success continued into this summer season with the All Iowa Attack. She added offers from Belmont, Butler, Cleveland State, DePaul and Utah State to a growing list.
Comito stood out this summer for several reasons: her ability to create opportunities for her teammates, her fast-paced and aggressive play on defense and in transition, and her knack for scoring all over the court.
Jhaliana Guy, Fr., Bettendorf
Nothing says stock riser like collecting Division I offers as an eighth grader.
But that’s exactly what Guy did this summer, with the soon-to-be freshman landing over a dozen offers since the end of April, including Iowa. Guy credited the uptick in her recruitment with her improvement on defense and in her shooting abilities.
Aside from her 5-foot-9 frame – with room to grow – there is a lot for college coaches to like about Guy’s game.
“I think I matured in my game,” Guy said. “I upped my intensity, for sure. The way I move is different from others, my shooting ability, the way I approach things, that’s what (coaches) have said stand out.”
Trishelle Miller, Jr., Bishop Heelan
On the way to helping her club team claim the national championship on the Adidas circuit, Miller added a few more college offers to her growing list. Even on a talent-loaded team, the rising Bishop Heelan star stood out for her skillset.
“I’m really athletic,” Miller said. “I have an extremely good quick step, and I think that catches a lot of coaches’ eyes. Also, I’m in the guard position, so I do a really good job of getting everyone on my team involved and making sure that everybody’s scoring.”
Playing on the level she did this summer, Miller found herself forced to step up her game on the court. She also feels like she became more of a leader off of it. She recognized that the speed of play made her tighten up her passes and make quicker decisions.
Last week, the rising junior committed to play at South Dakota State.
Jayla Williams, Jr., Ankeny
Williams stood out in her sophomore season with Ankeny, and the offers continued to come into the summer season. One standout: Harvard. So yeah, Williams seems to be a standout on the court and in the classroom.
She spent the offseason focusing on her consistency in the gym, and she felt like the move onto a bigger AAU basketball circuit aided her development. The Hawkettes’ go-to scorer also filled a new role, focusing more on setting up her teammates than scoring.
“This summer, a lot of people have complimented my defensive end and my hustle plays,” Williams noticed. “I feel like I’ve always been a pretty good defensive threat. It’s my outside shot that I want to be more consistent with, which I’ve gotten better at this summer.”
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel .
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet 5 of Iowa's top rising high school girls basketball recruits from the 2024 offseason
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