STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford's Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball Tara VanDerveer announced the signings of three of the country's top players to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Jenna Brown (Marietta, Ga./The Lovett School), Lacie Hull (Spokane, Wash./Central Valley) and Lexie Hull (Spokane, Wash./Central Valley) will join the Cardinal ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
Stanford's three-member class is again one of the nation's strongest, collectively rated No. 8 by espnW HoopGurlz and No. 10 by Prospects Nation.
"We're very excited about adding terrific players and even better people," VanDerveer said. "All three are great fits, possess the fundamentals and versatility that we look for in our program and will succeed academically and athletically at Stanford. We'll lose two outstanding seniors in Kaylee Johnson and Brittany McPhee after this season and are confident that these future freshmen will come in and be great players for us."
The three are impressive additions to a program which has won a pair of national championships, been to 30 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, advanced to the Final Four in seven of the past 10 seasons and the Elite Eight in 11 of the past 14, won at least 25 games for 16 straight years and claimed a combined 35 Pac-12 regular season and conference championships.
Jenna Brown
5-10 • Marietta, Ga. • The Lovett SchoolBrown, a 5-foot-10 guard, is a five-star talent and the No. 20 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100. She has played a pair of varsity prep seasons for The Lovett School in Atlanta, sitting out her junior year while recovering from a knee injury. As a sophomore in 2015-16 she played in all 30 games and averaged 18.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks to help her team to an 18-12 record and state tournament appearance.
"Stanford offers everything I've ever dreamed about in my college choice," Brown said of her decision. "Between the top-notch academics, elite basketball program and overall atmosphere of the campus, I couldn't see myself anywhere else."
She started 28 games as a freshman with averages of 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals. The Lions went 21-9 record and advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament.
A USA Basketball veteran, Brown won bronze alongside current Cardinal Maya Dodson at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Cup in Zaragoza Spain.
Lacie Hull
6-2 • Spokane, Wash. • Central ValleyA 6-foot-2 wing, Lacie Hull is a three-star prospect according to espnW HoopGurlz and rated No. 14 in the country at her position. She averaged 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.9 steals as a junior in 2016-17 in helping Central Valley extend its winning streak to 52 games before a fourth-place finish in the Washington state tournament.
"I chose Stanford because I love the people, the campus, the academic success and the remarkable basketball history," Hull said.
The Bears went a perfect 28-0 and won a state championship during Hull's sophomore season in which she again filled the stat sheet with averages of 9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals. She scored 9.8 points to go along with 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a freshman and is 73-6 in her prep career.
Lexie Hull
6-1 • Spokane, Wash. • Central ValleyAnother five-star talent is the 6-foot-1 Lexie Hull, older than her twin sister by 20 minutes, who is the No. 16 overall player in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100. The 2016-17 Gatorade Washington Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Hull averaged 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game in leading Central Valley to a 26-1 record and the Class 4A quarterfinals.
"No university could offer what Stanford was able to," Hull commented. "I am so thankful to have the opportunity to study at a world-renowned university and be a part of an exceptional basketball program. Stanford was the one place where I was not forced to choose between academics and athletics."
During the state championship run in 2015-16, Hull averaged 18.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 28 games and was also voted state tournament most valuable player. She scored 13.8 points and pulled down 6.3 rebounds as a freshman.