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Huskies Wire
Former Washington star assisting in recruiting efforts of five-star PF
- Story byHuskies Wire
- Former Washington star assisting in recruiting efforts of five-star PF
One of the nation's top prospects in the 2026 class is back on the market in five-star Oliviyah Edwards, and coach Tina Langley and the Washington Huskies are expected to be firmly in the mix for her services.
The 6-foot-3 power forward from Tacoma, Washington, who is ranked as the No. 4 player in the nation by 247Sports, was granted a release of her NLI to Tennessee after her primary recruiters, assistant coaches Gabe Lazo and Roman Tubner, were let go following the season. After picking the Volunteers out of a final six of Florida, LSU, South Carolina, USC, and Washington, the battle for her services is going to be fierce.
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"This decision was incredibly hard, but after deep conversations with my family, I know what's best for my future," Edwards wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). "A special thank you to coach Kim Caldwell, Gabe Lazo, Roman Tubner, and the entire staff. The relationships we built mean so much to me, and they will always hold a special place in my future. This has been a tough weekend as I've had to grieve the loss of what I once envisioned for my future."
As the Huskies make their pitch to Edwards, Langley has gotten some help from a Tacoma legend.
Former UW men's superstar Isaiah Thomas has taken to social media to convince "Big Oh," who trains at Elite Sports Academy in Issaquah, to stay home and join a Husky squad that appears to be on the verge of establishing itself as one of the best teams in the Big Ten.
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With building blocks like All-Big Ten First Team guard Sayvia Sellers and All-Big Ten honorable mention Avery Howell set to return in the backcourt, alongside former five-star recruit and All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree Brynn McGaughy down low, the Huskies have a formidable trio of stars that could be enough to propel them to host the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament in 2027.
Adding Edwards' unique skill set and elite size to that promising core could help the newly-extended Langley and the Huskies, who won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2017 before falling in the Round of 32, become a perennial power in the Big Ten.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington star assisting in Huskies' push to land in-state five-star
