Wisconsin girls basketball continues to gain national attention.
ESPN released its updated national rankings Thursday, and four Wisconsin players are among the prospects receiving recognition: Madison La Follette’s Nyajuacni “Nya” Riak, Stevens Point teammates Leah Awe and Jada Seubert, and Oostburg’s Kinsley Ketterhagen.
Riak leads the Wisconsin group at No. 3 in the country in the Class of 2028. Awe comes in at No. 37 in the same class, while Ketterhagen is ranked No. 46. Seubert, a member of the Class of 2027, is ranked No. 72 nationally.
At this point, Riak’s rise shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed her development.
The 6’2″ La Follette forward spent part of her summer representing the United States at the 2026 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup. She was one of just 12 players selected for the national team, putting a Wisconsin public school player on the floor alongside some of the best young players in the country.
Riak also competed in Overtime Select, the elite girls basketball league that brings together many of the country’s top high school players.
Now ESPN has her sitting just two spots away from being considered the No. 1 player in America in the Class of 2028.
About 150 miles north of Madison, Stevens Point has two nationally ranked players of its own.
Junior Leah Awe is ranked No. 37 nationally in the Class of 2028. Her teammate Jada Seubert, a 5’10” guard in the Class of 2027, is ranked No. 72 and has committed to play college basketball at the University of Iowa.
Awe and Seubert also play together during the AAU season with the Purple Aces on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
That gives Stevens Point two players who have established themselves on the national recruiting radar before the season even begins.
Then there is Ketterhagen.
The 6’0″ Oostburg guard comes in at No. 46 on ESPN’s new Class of 2028 list and has already put together an impressive high school career.
Ketterhagen helped Oostburg finish a perfect 30-0 last season and win its second consecutive Division 3 state championship. Along the way, Oostburg defeated the eventual Division 1 and Division 2 state champions during the regular season.
Ketterhagen has been receiving national attention beyond ESPN as well. She was named to the MaxPreps Sophomore All-America Team following last season.
From La Follette to Stevens Point to Oostburg, four Wisconsin players have earned a place on ESPN’s national radar. It is another sign that some of the best young basketball talent in the country is being developed right here in Wisconsin.
And Wisconsin basketball fans will get an opportunity to see some of that nationally recognized talent compete against each other.
La Follette and Stevens Point are scheduled to meet in December.
That immediately becomes one of the Wisconsin girls basketball games I have circled for the upcoming season.
On one side will be Riak, now ESPN’s No. 3 player nationally in the Class of 2028, a USA Basketball U17 selection and an Overtime Select player.
On the other will be Awe and Seubert, two nationally ranked players who are also teammates during the AAU season.
National rankings aren’t everything. They change. Players develop at different rates, and plenty of outstanding basketball players will never appear on a national list.
But having four Wisconsin players recognized among the best players in the country is another indication of the level of girls basketball talent being developed in this state.
Riak, Awe, Ketterhagen and Seubert have each taken different paths to earning national recognition.
Now Wisconsin basketball fans get to watch where those paths take them next.
