University of Kansas basketball recruiting

What already looked like a strong recruiting class for Kansas women’s basketball got quite a lot better on Tuesday afternoon.

Jaliya Davis, a 6-foot-2 small forward who is the nation’s No. 24 prospect as assessed by 247Sports, announced her decision to attend KU next year in a ceremony at her high school, Blue Valley North in Overland Park.

Davis, a five-star recruit as assessed by ESPN and four-star on 247Sports’ rankings, picked the Jayhawks over Baylor, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

She immediately becomes the highest-ranked prospect in the 2025 class for KU women’s basketball — a class that already included a pair of recent signees in highly touted guard Libby Fandel from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and forward Tatyonna Brown from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Davis visited KU in late September.

Brandon Clay of 247Sports wrote in a scouting report on Davis, “She can score the basketball effectively, whether it’s off the bounce or by cutting to the rim to finish. Davis was one of the premier scorers inside the Nike EYBL during the 2024 season. As she continues to develop her outside shooting range, her production is expected to increase further.”

Her commitment represents a key example of in-state success for KU, which is led by a Kansan star in sophomore S’Mya Nichols and has given significant playing time to Andover native Brittany Harshaw and Kansas City, Kansas, native Sania Copeland already this year.

The Jayhawks are currently 4-0 this season ahead of a neutral-site game against Iowa on Wednesday. Most of KU’s current contributors will be able to return for the 2025-26 season, with the key exceptions of Wyvette Mayberry, Danai Papadopoulou and Jordan Webster.