Adia Barnes’ 47th birthday celebration got a little sweeter with a big win.
On Saturday, Lauryn Swann, a combo guard from Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran High School, announced her commitment to play for the Wildcats in the fall of 2024.
Swann
Swann is the first player in UA’s class. It will become official during the April signing period, which is when Barnes can comment on the recruit.
After Saturday’s 117-33 win over Brooklyn Law & Tech, in which Swann scored 38 points and picked seven steals, she made it official on her Instagram Live as she put on an Arizona T-shirt and later flashed a W-C hand sign.
In her video, she shared that she bet on herself after going through struggles — including four shoulder dislocations and a torn labrum — and that she’s reached her goal of going to a Power 5 school.
A few weeks ago, ESPN Hoop Gurlz wrote: “(She) has gotten into considerable physical condition. She is now quicker both off the bounce and defensively and her shooting numbers have grown as well.”
At the time, she was averaging 11.7 points and 3.2 assists for one of the top high school programs in the nation. The write-up added that she should be in consideration to be ranked among the top 100 national recruits in the next update.
Shane Laflin, head of Premier Basketball Report and the man who handles recruiting for ESPN’s Hoop Gurlz, said that Swann “adds a scoring punch to go with a (re) establishing culture as her path and background show (that) she values the work and a winning culture. She is also committed defensively — a requisite for Adia.”
Long Island Lutheran (17-1) is the second-best team in the country with a squad loaded with three McDonald’s All-Americans: Kate Koval (No. 5), Syla Sword (11) and Kayleigh Heckel (No. 28), plus Ka’Shya Hawkins, who is No. 72. It was also the home of former Wildcat and McDonald’s All-American Paris Clark.
