BATON ROUGE – Coach Kim Mulkey and LSU signed the No. 1 ranked women’s basketball recruiting class on Wednesday for the second time in three seasons with the addition of four five-stars in Divine Bourrage, Bella Hines, ZaKiyah Johnson and Grace Knox.
LSU’s class was unanimously ranked No. 1 across all the different recruiting rankings. All four women’s basketball signees are five-star recruits who rank as high as the top-24 in this year’s class.
Divine Bourrage: No. 12 ESPN, No. 7 On3, No. 9 Prospects Nation, No. 7 247Sports, No. 11 Collegiate Girls Basketball Report
Bella Hines: No. 30 ESPN, No. 24 On3, No. 26 Prospects Nation, No. 24 247Sports, No. 35 Collegiate Girls Basketball Report
ZaKiyah Johnson: No. 13 ESPN, No. 4 On3, No. 4 Prospects Nation, No. 12 247Sports, No. 8 Collegiate Girls Basketball Report
Grace Knox: No. 6 ESPN, No. 13 On3, No. 15 Prospects Nation, No. 11 247 Sports, No. 7 Collegiate Girls Basketball Report
Bourrage, Hines, Johnson and Knox were all on Wednesday’s Naismith Trophy Girl’s High School Player of the Year Watchlist.
Divine Bourrage
Guard | 6-0 | Davenport, Iowa
Throughout her high school career, Bourrage has shown the ability to score to ball from anywhere on the court. She was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Iowa during her junior season last year, averaging 19.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3 steals throughout the season to become the first player from Davenport North High School to garner the award. She was one of 30 players invited to the first Stewie 30 Elite Camp that WNBA Champion Breanna Stewart puts on. Bourrage is dynamic off the bounce and can create her own shot well as well as get to the rim. She has proven to be an effective facilitator in the transition game.
“I chose to play at LSU because I feel like I can grow my game there and it felt like home,” Bourrage said. “And to play for Coach Mulkey has been a dream of mine.”
“Divine can do it all on the perimeter,” Coach Mulkey said. “At her size, she can play all three guard positions. She elevates her team when she is on the court with her unselfish passing and skillful attack off the dribble. We can’t wait to have Divine competing in the purple and gold.”
Bella Hines
Guard | 5-10 | Albuquerque, New Mexico
A combo guard, Hines has been the Player of the Year in New Mexico for two consecutive years. Last season as a junior at Eldorado High School, Hines surpassed 2,000 career points as she averaged 32.5 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Her scoring ability was recently on display when she dropped 50+ points in a back-to-back games and broke the Grind Session single-game scoring record with 53.
“I chose to play at LSU and for Coach Mulkey because I wanted to be a part of a winning program and I know with Coach Mulkey I can do that,” Hines said. “A big part of why I wanted to play for Coach Mulkey is because she cares more about me as a person and my education than just a basketball player.”
“Bella has a knack for scoring the ball,” Coach Mulkey said. “She is a standout three-point shooter which is something we were looking for in this class. Not only can she score but she also has a top-level commitment to defense. Bella has had a great start to her senior year and is proving to be a game changer on both ends of the floor. We are excited she is officially an LSU Tiger.”
ZaKiyah Johnson
Guard | 6-1 | Shelbyville, Kentucky
Johnson is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Kentucky high school sports. In three seasons, Johnson has three KHSAA state championships, three Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year honors and she earned a gold medal with the Team USA U18 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup team. Throughout her first three high school seasons, Johnson averaged 17.7 points and 6.6 rebounds as a freshman, 22.5 points and 8.8 rebounds as a sophomore and 18.9 points and 7.2 rebounds as a junior.
“I chose to play for Coach Mulkey at LSU because I know she knows what it takes to get to the top,” Johnson said. “LSU feels like home away from home.”
“ZaKiyah brings size and athleticism to our backcourt,” Coach Mulkey said. “Her versatility is a huge part of her game. From scoring to rebounding and defending she can affect the game in a variety of ways! Tiger fans are going to love the energy and winning tradition ‘Z’ brings to the PMAC!”
Grace Knox
Forward | 6-3 | Las Vegas, Nevada
As a freshman Knox averaged 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds to help lead Spring Valley High School in Las Vegas to the NIAA 5A semifinals. After missing her sophomore season with an injury, Knox transferred to Etiwanda High School in Los Angeles where she averaged 17.2 points and 11.9 rebounds as a junior, leading the team to a national championship and the California Open Division So-Cal Region California State Championship. With her size coupled with her versatile skillset, Knox has the ability to play both on the perimeter and in the paint.
“I would say I chose LSU because, for one I know Coach Mulkey can develop me for the next level as I saw her do at Baylor and recently at LSU,” Knox said. “I love the culture on and off the court which set it apart from the other schools mostly. Of course, there’s great branding opportunities at LSU as well. Lastly, I feel like on the visit I felt the genuineness and passion in the coaching staff. There didn’t seem to be an awkward moment and could see myself thriving at LSU next year.”
“Grace is gifted with an incredible ability to rebound,” Coach Mulkey said. “Her tenacity on the boards combined with her all-around offensive skill set make her a tough matchup. We look forward to Grace having an immediate impact on our team and are excited to see all that she accomplishes at LSU.”
