University of Kansas basketball recruiting

The Kansas women’s basketball team earned its first commitment of the 2026 recruiting cycle on Thursday night, as Mollie Ernstes, a guard from North Vernon, Indiana, announced on Instagram that she will join the Jayhawks next season.

The 6-foot Ernstes averaged 22.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during her junior year at Jennings County High School, according to MaxPreps, and is a high-volume 3-point shooter who converts at a career rate of 34%. Ernstes has also played for the West Virginia Thunder club team on the Under Armour circuit.

She recently visited KU and picked the Jayhawks over schools such as Arkansas, Ball State, Dayton and New Mexico.

Ernstes is the first piece in place as KU looks to build up its future beyond the monumental 2025 freshman class that ESPN ranked No. 7 in the country.

Players who will exhaust their eligibility for the Jayhawks following the 2025-26 season include guards Sania Copeland and Elle Evans and forwards Nadira Eltayeb and Lilly Meister — a third of what is currently a 12-woman roster.