Huskies Sign Top-25 Recruiting Class
Brian Tom
11/6/2020
SEATTLE --- Washington women's basketball coach Jody Wynn announced that five players -- Marisa Davis-Jones, Jess Finney, A.J. Marotte, Olivia Pollerd and Avery Van Sickle – have signed their National Letters of Intent to join the program in 2021-22, giving Wynn and the program a recruiting class that is ranked in ESPN's top-25.
Wynn and her staff traveled far and wide to compile the 16th-ranked recruiting class in the nation. There are two standouts from Arizona and one each from Colorado, Texas and Australia. All four players from the states participated in the McDonald’s All-America evaluation event for top-150 recruits held in October. UW is one of four programs in the country – but the only Pac-12 school – that signed four players ranked in the ESPN Top-100.
“We are very excited to have these five incredible young women join our Husky family,” Wynn said. "First and foremost, they are tremendous people. They come from terrific families, are unselfish teammates, and have the drive to succeed both in the classroom and on the court. All five ladies have played at the highest level available to them and know what it takes to win. This class continues to propel our program in the right direction and gives us an array of diverse skills.
"We can’t wait for their arrival and impact!"
Here's a closer look at each of the five players:
Marisa Davis-Jones
Wing • 6-1 • Surprise, Ariz. (Valley Vista)
Davis-Jones is a four-star recruit from Surprise, Ariz., and is ranked 76th overall (No. 12 wing) in the ESPNW 100 rankings. She was the 2020 Arizona 6A Player of the Year after helping Valley Vista and coach Rachel Matakas win their third state title in four seasons. She ranked fifth in the state during her junior campaign averaging 22 points and also recording 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
Davis-Jones is a gifted athlete and has been able to dunk a basketball since the eighth grade. She made a splash right away at Valley Vista, contributing 10.1 points and 8.5 rebounds as a freshman, including a 14 point, 18 rebound effort in the Monsoon's 2018 6A title game win. She followed her freshman season up by averaging 16.1 points as a sophomore and helping Valley Vista to the 6A semifinals.
“Marisa is an explosive athlete with a non-stop motor,” Wynn said. “She has an incredible work ethic and drive to excel. Marisa is a great rebounder and defender, with an offensive game that is ascending up. She is long and athletic with the ability to play both inside and out. Marisa fits in our open court system and has huge upside.”
Jess Finney
Guard • 5-10 • Scottsdale, Ariz. (Chaparral)
The Huskies added one of the nation's best shooters in the class with Finney, a 5-foot-10, four-star recruit from Scottsdale, Ariz. She is the nation's No. 39 ranked guard and is 94th overall according to ESPN.
“Jess is a terrific scorer who also has the playmaking ability to play point guard as well,” Wynn said. “She is long, athletic and makes her teammates better through her vision. Jess has deep 3-point range and can really stretch the defense. She is a very focused and driven player with incredible work ethic and driven to succeed.”
Finney, who plays for Brian Porth at Chaparral, led the state of Arizona with 96 makes from 3-point range in 2020 and was fifth overall with 21.8 points per game. She boasts a well-rounded game as she also averaged 4.1 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per contest. Her outstanding season earned her a spot on the Arizona Republic All-Girls Team.
Ashtynne “A.J.” Marotte
Wing • 6-0 • Cedar Park, Texas (Vista Ridge)
According to ESPN, Ashtynne Jenner Marotte (better known as A.J.) is Coach Wynn's highest rated UW recruit, landing 63rd overall nationally – 26th among guards. In her first three years playing for Keith Allen and the Vista Ridge Rangers, Marotte has amassed 1,441 points and 931 rebounds in 104 games.
Marotte has been on coaches' radars for a long time as she broke out as a freshman for the Rangers and was the 2018 All-Central Texas Newcomer of the Year and Texas District 25-6A Newcomer of the Year. She also earned an all-state nod from the Texas Girls Coaches Association after averaging 10.5 points and nine rebounds.
She followed up her first year by averaging 14.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game as a sophomore, earning First Team Texas All-District 13-6A, TAGC 6A All-State and TABC Region 2 6A All-Region recognition.
Marotte continued her dominance as a junior in 2020, leading Vista Ridge to the Regional Semifinals of the Texas 6A State championships. She averaged 16.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game and was named Texas District 13-6A MVP, First Team All-Central Texas, UIL 6A All-State, TAGC 6A All-State and UIL Region 2 All-Region.
“A.J. is a very versatile, long athlete that impacts the game on both sides of the ball,” Wynn said. "She can score it on all 3 levels: at the rim, with a great mid-range jumper, and range out to the 3-point line. A.J. has a high motor and her length and athleticism allow her to defend multiple positions and in the open court."
Marotte has also been a member of the Adidas USA Select Team, where she gained international playing experience, teaming up in Spain with current UW freshman Jayda Noble in 2019.
Olivia Pollerd
Wing • 6-2 • Mount Martha, Victoria, Australia (Centre of Excellence)
Coach Wynn and her staff reached out internationally to reel in Pollerd as the final piece to their recruiting puzzle. The 6-foot-2 wing hails from Mount Martha, Victoria in Australia, becoming the third Husky on the roster to come from the Land Down Under.
“Liv comes to UW as one of the very best players in all of Australia,” Wynn said. "Her experience of competing for Australia Basketball will positively impact our team. She is a tremendous competitor with great size and versatility. Liv is a knock-down shooter with incredible range and a quick release. She needs very little time to get her feet set and shot off. Liv can play all over the court and has a tremendous future as a Husky."
Pollerd originally signed as a 15-year old to the Deakin Melbourne Boomers WNBL developmental team. The left-handed sharp-shooter has since gained valuable experience playing against high level competition at both national and international levels.
In 2020, Pollerd participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at the NBA All-Star game. She has represented the state of Victoria at the Australian Junior Championships level and helped her Victorian team win the 2020 Under 20 nationals.
Pollerd also starred during Australia’s dominant gold-medal run at the 2019 FIBA Under 17 Oceania Championships, averaging a team-high 23.4 minutes and finishing second in scoring with 13.2 points per game. She was also one of the youngest players for Australia at the FIBA Under 19 Asian Cup.
Avery VanSickle
Guard • 5-10 • Castle Rock, Colo. (Regis Jesuit)
VanSickle opened up some eyes at the McDonald’s All-America evaluation event in October and has since outgrown her ESPN rankings as the No. 85 overall player and 17th-ranked point guard.
VanSickle is a balanced point guard that is adept with both hands. In three seasons under coach Carl Mattei at Regis Jesuit she has played in 76 games, scoring 1,016 points, averaging 13.4 points, 2.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
“Avery is a natural born leader,” Wynn said. “She is a lights-out 3-point shooter with a very high basketball IQ. Avery comes from a basketball family where mom and dad both played collegiately. She sees the court very well and is a terrific passer to compliment her outside shooting. She's also a tough competitor and focused to succeed."
As a junior, VanSickle averaged 16.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.5 assists per game, helping the Raiders remain unbeaten in the regular season and reach the Great 8 round of the Class 5A state tournament. She averaged 13.3 points per game as a sophomore and 10.6 points as a freshman.
VanSickle boasts a 4.2 grade point average in the class room.
Let's go! @UW_WBB commits @averyvansickle @jmfinney0 @_ashtynne ready to ball at #ThePRIMEevent pic.twitter.com/L8Xj5to6ul
— Vince Marotte (@m_vince) August 22, 2020