AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball program and head coach Bill Fennelly announced Wednesday that four consensus Top-100 prospects have signed their letters of intent to play for the Cyclones starting in 2020-21. Iowa State’s 2020 recruiting class is a top-10 class and the highest-ranked class in program history.
The four signees may hail from four different states in the Midwest, but all boast unique ties to Iowa State women’s basketball and make up the No. 7 overall recruiting class, which is the highest in ISU history. Currently, all four signees rank in the top 65 on prospectsNation.com. The 2020 class also checked in at No. 8 on ESPN HoopGurlz and are ranked in the top-100.
“I could not be more excited to add this class to the Iowa State Women’s Basketball family,” Fennelly said. ”Our goal in the 2020 recruiting cycle was to add perimeter players and we did exactly that with this group. They are extremely talented players but even better people from amazing families. This group has been committed to the Iowa State Way for a long time, and I know our fans are going to love watching them play for the Cyclones.”
Lexi Donarski, a 5-10 guard who hails from La Crosse, Wis., is a three-year starter at Aquinas High School. Donarski is a two-time La Crosse Tribune Player of the year and has led the Blugold to back-to-back state championships and an 82-2 overall record in the last three seasons. Donarski was rated the No. 12 overall prospect by ESPN, and is the highest-rated recruit ever to sign with the Cyclones. Donarski is fresh off an invite to Steph Curry’s SC30 Elite Camp in California. Donarski is also a skilled athlete in volleyball and track and field. She also earned Player of the Year honors in volleyball and is a three-time first-team All-Conference performer in track and field. Donarski was also recently named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Trophy Watch List, which honors the top high school player in the nation. Donarksi is a member of WI Fight Elite, an accomplished AAU program that claimed a 2018 Adidas National Championship and most recently a trip to the Under Armour Association Final Four.
“Lex is one of the most highly rated players in the country,” Fennelly said. “She is extremely skilled with a very high basketball IQ. Unlike most young players she is a willing defender and can impact the game at both ends of the floor.”
Kylie Feuerbach, a 6-0 guard from Sycamore, Ill., is a three-year starter for Sycamore High School. Feuerbach is a three-time First-Team All-Conference performer and averaged 20.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game in her junior season. Feuerbach is rated No. 77 overall on the ESPN HoopGurlz Top 100. Feuerbach is already the all-time leading scorer at Sycamore High School with 1,611 career points entering her senior year. Feuerbach was also a member of the All-Iowa Attack squad that claimed a national title in 2018 at the prestigious Nike EYBL tournament. Feuerbach netted the game-winning 3-pointer in the championship game in front of NBA great Kevin Durant. The 2019 squad also finished as the national runner-up. Feuerbach is also an accomplished track and field and volleyball athlete, earning First-Team All-Area honors in both sports.
“Kylie is a tremendous athlete who has achieved success in many sports in high school,” Fennelly said. “Now that she will focus on basketball I have no doubt she will impact our team in many ways. Kylie’s length and versatility will really give us many options in how we use her.”
Aubrey Joens, a 5-10 guard out of Iowa City, Iowa, is a three-year starter at Iowa City High School. Joens averaged 23.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.0 steals per game for the Little Hawks last season. In three seasons at Iowa City High, Joens has led the Little Hawks to a 66-6 record. Joens is rated the No. 54 overall prospect on ESPN’s HoopGurlz. She was also a member of the All-Iowa Attack squad that claimed a national title in 2018 at the prestigious Nike EYBL tournament. The 2019 squad also finished as the national runner-up. Joens competed with Feuerbach on All-Iowa Attack as well. Joens is the sister of current Iowa State sophomore and two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball, Ashley Joens.
“We are thrilled to add another Joens to the program,” Fennelly said. “Aubrey is one of the most dynamic three-point shooters in the country coming out of high school. Like Ash she is a scorer and fits the way we like to play.”
Emily Ryan, a 5-10 guard out of Claflin, Kansas, is a three-time state champion from Central Plains High School in Claflin, Kansas. Ryan has led the Oilers at point guard to an unblemished 79-0 record and averaged 30.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 5.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Ryan has broken nearly every record at Central Plains and is a consensus Player of the Year in the state of Kansas. She was also named the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018. Ryan is also an accomplished track and field and tennis athlete for the Oilers.
“Emily is one of the top point guards in the country,” Fennelly said. “She is a winner in every sense of the word. Emily knows how to lead and run a team which allows her to impact success at both ends of the floor.”
Chris Hansen, a national recruiting analyst for ProspectsNation.com com called Iowa State’s 2020 class one of the top in the country.
“Any time you sign a top-10 class, there’s reason to be excited. This Cyclone class raises the bar for program as it’s arguably the most impactful class to sign at ISU. The thing that stands out is that in addition to the individual rankings of these players is the fit. They all fit the style of play that has been so successful with Bill Fennelly at the helm.
Lexi Donarski is a highly skilled combo guard prospect. With her ability to create offense and her length, I could see her being used on and off the ball as her career progresses. When you look at the rest of the class you see quality depth at the guard position as Kylie Feuerbach, Aubrey Joens and Emily Ryan are all ranked in the top 65 spots of the 2020 class.
The timing of the class couldn’t be more timely with really talented junior class in Ames there for this group’s freshman year.”
Dan Olson, a national recruiting analyst for ESPN HoopGurlz.
“Iowa State lands a top-10 recruiting class through the strength of four superb back-court prospects. The Cyclones get four top-100 players, headlined by espnW No. 12 Lexi Donarski, a smooth-scoring guard sure to make an impact in her college career. Adding to their class is Aubrey Joens, and completing a guard trio is Kylie Feuerbach. Emily Ryan is a point guard supreme that rounds out the class. All four players are ideal for the Iowa State system and put the Cyclones in the upper echelon of class rankings for 2020.”
