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Dan Olson 5y

Five 2020 women's basketball prospects who rose up the class rankings

Women's College Basketball, Women Basketball Recruiting, North Carolina Tar Heels, Oregon Ducks, San Diego State Aztecs, Kentucky Wildcats, SMU Mustangs

The espnW HoopGurlz Class of 2020 has a new top 100. UConn commit and Gatorade National Girls' Basketball Player of the Year Paige Bueckers remains the top-ranked prospect in the class.

In fact, the top six prospects -- No. 2 Angel Reese (Maryland), No. 3 Cameron Brink (Stanford), No. 4 Caitlin Clark (Iowa), No. 5 Kamilla Cardoso (Syracuse) and No. 6 Diamond Johnson (Rutgers) -- all have the same rankings as before.

But there were five prospects who made the most of their senior seasons and bolstered their stock tremendously.

PG Deja Kelly
North Carolina Tar Heels
espnW HoopGurlz ranking: 10
Previous ranking: 17

Kelly, who will suit up for North Carolina next season, had a sensational senior year. After transferring to Duncanville High School in Texas as a junior and going through a coaching change, she emerged as one of the most dominant guards in the class. She averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in helping the Pantherettes to a 40-3 record and a Texas 6A state championship.

She also proved she was not afraid of the big stage. In front of a sellout American Airlines Center crowd, Kelly dropped 26 points against Sierra Canyon (California) in a battle of two top-10 teams in the country. She also scored 23 points in the state championship game and was set to be a Jordan Brand and McDonald's All American.

PG Te-Hina Paopao
Oregon Ducks
espnW HoopGurlz ranking: 11
Previous ranking: 33

Paopao had endured not one but two knee injuries during her high school career with La Jolla Country Day, but she finally played a full season. Not only did she rise up the individual rankings, but so did her team. She helped the Torreys win the Nike Tournament of Champions in December and finish the year as the No. 2 team in the espnW 25 Power Rankings.

The future Oregon Duck averaged 22.7 points and 4.3 assists per game this season, earning both Jordan Brand and McDonald's All American selections. She is not the only top-25 prospect heading to Eugene next season, either. Joining her are No. 8 Sydney Parrish, No. 17 Kylee Watson, No. 19 Maddie Scherr and No. 22 Angela Dugalic.

PG Asia Avinger
San Diego State Aztecs
espnW HoopGurlz ranking: 56
Previous ranking: 68

Avinger spent the year solidifying her stock as one of the nation's best combo guards. On a guard-heavy Rosary High School (California) team, she was the ringleader, showing off her scoring prowess with her smooth midrange jumper and her passing skills. The 5-foot-7 Avinger averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists. An unselfish and poised playmaker, Avinger is positioned to be one of the best mid-major freshmen in the country next season.

PG Erin Toller
Kentucky Wildcats
espnW HoopGurlz ranking: 91
Previous ranking: Unranked

Toller made her way into the top 100 after overcoming adversity on the court. She was a high-caliber guard as an underclassman but hurt each knee and missed her entire junior season. Despite that, Kentucky stood by and signed her to join No. 29 prospect Treasure Hunt and No. 85 prospect Nyah Leveretter next season.

When Toller returned to Sacred Heart Academy (Kentucky) for her senior season, she made the most of it. Toller is a productive point guard, a true game manager with deceptive speed and has a high basketball IQ. She averaged 16.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists to help lead the Valkyries to a 32-3 record as she was named first-team All-State by the Lexington Herald-Leader.

SG Rhyle McKinney
SMU Mustangs
espnW HoopGurlz ranking: 96
Previous ranking: Unranked

McKinney was born with a cleft palate and is legally deaf. She requires hearing aids in both of her ears. None of that has stopped her from becoming a top-100 prospect.

She has been a vital component for Argyle High School (Texas), helping lead the Eagles to a 136-23 record over the past four seasons and tallying more than 2,000 career points. She is a complete guard, one who can score with her silky-smooth jumper, or dazzle with her passing abilities and craftiness. McKinney averaged 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a senior and can make an early impact in the American Athletic Conference next season with SMU.

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