USC women's basketball lands another No. 1 recruit in Saniyah Hall
Saniyah Hall, the nation's No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, committed to USC on ESPN on Friday, shortly after her official visit to campus. She's the third No. 1 prospect in four years to commit to Lindsay Gottlieb and USC.
That's a staggering feat given where the program was when Gottlieb took over in 2021. But since landing Watkins in November 2022, arguably no coach in women's college basketball has been better at recruiting top talent like Gottlieb.
'Going there, it felt like home,' Hall said on ESPN's NBA Today. 'I loved all of my future teammates. The girls there are just so fun to be around. And then definitely Lindsay [Gottlieb], she's definitely there to support me and I've built a relationship with her. She's a great coach.'
Hall, who hails from Ohio, is a fitting addition to that star-studded lineage and a major victory for USC after a disheartening end to last season. She was recently named the most valuable player of the women's FIBA World Cup U19, despite, at just 16 years old, being one of the youngest players competing in the field.
Playing alongside her future Trojan teammates this month — Davidson and rising sophomore Kennedy Smith - on the U19 national team, Hall scored nearly 20 points per game to lead all Americans. She also contributed 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 steals, two assists and a block per game, flashing a skillset that already looks primed for top competition.
When Hall joins USC next fall, she'll round out a roster that ranks among the most touted in the history of the sport. After missing most of next season, Watkins will return, while Davidson will only be a sophomore. Smith, the No. 6 recruit in the 2024 class, will still presumably be a fixture in the lineup.
Add Hall to that equation, and the Trojans, with four five-stars in tow, could very well enter the 2027 season as national title favorites.
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