WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The entire 2021 signing class for Purdue women's basketball was nominated for the McDonald's All-America Game. Signees Jayla Smith, Sacha Washington, Ava Learn and Skye Williams marked the sixth straight season that a future Boilermaker was nominated to for the national showcase.
The quartet, all of whom will arrive on campus this summer, were ranked No. 22 in the nation by ESPN.com.
"We're far from surprised that all four of our signees were named McDonald's All-America Game Nominees," head coach Sharon Versyp. "Throughout this recruiting process, we knew that this group was incredibly special. We can't wait to get them on campus and have them start making an impact on our program.
Jayla Smith, from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis and one of the favorites for Indiana Miss Basketball this season, guided the Wildcats to a sectional championship game appearance, after winning the 2019-20 Indiana State Championship. She was tabbed the No. 42 player in the nation, No. 13 guard and a 4-star recruit by Prospect Nation.
Skye Williams, out of Pickerington Central in Ohio, is in the midst of the OHSAA State Tournament with the Lady Tigers. She is a a 4-star recruit, the No. 93 player in the nation, the No. 38 guard and 91 rating by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Sacha Washington, who plays at Collins Hill in Suwanee, Ga., has the Eagles in the championship game of the Region 8-AAAAAAA Tournament with a record of 21-1. She is the No. 57 player in the nation, the No. 13 forward and a 4-star recruit with a 91 rating by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Ava Learn, a senior at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., is the lone signee who has not played this winter. New York has not permitted basketball and other winter sports to compete this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn was tabbed the No. 153 player in the nation, the No. 41 guard with a rating of 20 from Dan Olson's Girls Basketball Report
Purdue has had a signing class has been ranked in the top 25 in 13 of the last 15 seasons.
FOLLOW THE BOILERMAKERSStay up to date on all the latest scores, stats and stories surrounding Purdue women's basketball this season by following the team on Twitter (@PurdueWBB), Instagram (@PurdueWBB) and Facebook (/PurdueWBB).