Laci Steele commits to NC State women's basketball
NC State women’s basketball has landed its third verbal commitment in the 2023 class, and the pledge was a top priority for head coach Wes Moore. Guard Laci Steele from Edmond (Okla.) North, rated the No. 56 prospect nationally by ESPN, announced her decision on Wednesday evening.
Steele (5-foot-11) had narrowed her options to a final 5 of NC State, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, Southern Cal and Texas A&M. Last season, Steele was named to the Class A All-State team by The Oklahoman after averaging 21.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game for a 28-1 Edmond North squad that won the school’s first state title.
Steele joins two others ranked highly by ESPN.com in the NC State women’s basketball recruiting class.
Guard Zoe Brooks (5-foot-10) from Plainfield (N.J.) Saint John Vianney High is listed at No 33 nationally. She picked NC State in June over ACC rivals Miami and Boston College. She is a 3-time all-state selection and was a Junior All-American by MaxPreps.com. Some of her other notable offers included North Carolina and South Carolina.
She helped her team go 32-1 last season, averaging over 18 points per game in addition to 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 steals.
“I love winning. I only lost one game as a freshman, one as a sophomore and one as a junior so far in high school,” Brooks told NJ.com. “When I was younger playing for the New Jersey Sparks and in middle school at Holy Savior Academy, we did a whole lot of winning, too. The same thing with Philly Rise AAU right now. So, I wanted to go to a program with a history of success, a coach that plays a lot of guards and doesn’t hold them back and a team that competes on the national stage.
“That’s why I chose St. John Vianney last summer, and why I chose North Carolina State now.”
NC State has also secured a verbal commitment from 6-foot-3 post player Mallory Collier from Millington (Tenn.) Bartlett High. ESPN.com ranks Collier No. 44 in her class.
“Low-post prospect with imposing size in the paint brings skilled interior footwork; scores on the block with an array of moves, utilizing either hand in the process; a defensive stopper in the lane; power-post with off-the-charts potential,” reads ESPN.com’s scouting report.
Collier announced her verbal commitment in March. She averaged 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a junior. Collier picked NC State women’s basketball over a top 10 that also included LSU, West Virginia, Rutgers, Ole Miss, Clemson, Alabama, Memphis, North Carolina and Vanderbilt.
NC State is also targeting one of Laci Steele’s AAU teammates, Flower Mound (Tex.) High forward Maddie Cox, who is rated No. 92 in the class by ESPN.
