Coming off its best season in over a decade, the Hillsdale College women's basketball team is eager to keep the momentum the program has built up over the past few seasons.

A big part of the Chargers' plan to do just that is the addition of an exciting recruiting class this that should bolster an already strong roster for the 2025-26 season.

This year's five-player class includes excellent size, with three players standing 6-foot-1 or taller, and great athleticism and talent that should provide an immediate boost to the team in the coming season.

Introducing them in alphabetical order:

Katie Graves (San Diego, CA/Westview) is a skilled and versatile 6-foot-2 forward who can play multiple positions and adds to an imposing Chargers frontcourt. Graves was a starter and major contributor who earned second-team All-Conference honors on a strong Wolverines squad that won a North County-Palomar League title in 2024-25 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2025 CIF Division I State Tournament. A team captain for the Wolverines, Graves also played club basketball for San Diego PBC and West Coast Elite during her high school career, and is a strong student who is on track to graduate with honors this spring and will fit in well academically at Hillsdale.
 
Addison Kincaid (Louisville, KY/Sacred Heart Academy) is an exciting 6-foot-3 center prospect with the athleticism and size to be a potential two-way force at the next level. Playing for one of the top high school programs in Kentucky, a nine-time state champion who's won three straight 2A titles, with the most recent coming this past weekend, Kincaid has been an important contributor. She made the All-District and All-Tournament Team in 2024 while helping lead the Valkyries to the crown, and was slated to have a huge role on the 2024-25 team before an injury cut her season short early on. She also starred on the club basketball circuit with FOCUS, Ohio United and Sports City Angels, and is a strong student who earned first team Academic All-State honors and is on track to graduate near the top of her class this spring.
 
Grace McKinney (Jenison, MI/Grand Rapids Catholic Central) is the third 6-foot-1 or taller player in the class and an athletic player who can contribute on the wing or in the post. A top 50 player in the state of Michigan and a dynamic three-sport athlete who also starred in soccer and cross country for the Cougars, McKinney was a three-time All-OK Conference player in high school who helped lead GRCC to its first MHSAA D2 District title in six years this winter while playing in one of the state's hoops hotbeds in Grand Rapids. A decorated club player with Midwest Elite Meanstreets, McKinney also is a strong student who is on track to graduate with honors this spring and who earned her biliteracy seal in Spanish during her time in high school.
 
Maddie Smith (Montgomery, Alabama/Trinity Presbyterian) is a gifted point guard who was the driving force behind an Alabama basketball dynasty, leading the Wildcats to three state championships, including a 4A state title in 2025 after moving up a division following back-to-back 3A state championships. Trinity Presbyterian's all-time leading scorer with 2,511 career points, Smith made four consecutive All-Tourney teams, was a three-time All-State player, including the 2024 3A Player of the Year in Alabama, and also was named the 2024 3A State Tournament MVP. Also a star on the AAU circuit with Alabama Southern Starz, Smith excelled in school, and is on track to graduate with honors this spring.
 
Emma Kate Smith (Montgomery, Alabama/Trinity Presbyterian/Alabama-Huntsville) also joins the Chargers with her younger sister, Maddie, with three years of eligibility after a redshirt year at Alabama-Huntsville. A gifted scoring guard who played a major role on Trinity's first state title team in 2023, Emma Kate was a three-time first team All-State player and two-time CCC player of the year during her high school career and comes to Hillsdale with standout shooting touch, among other strong skills. She also played well on the club scene with Alabama Southern Starz, and was a strong student both at Trinity and at Alabama-Huntsville.

Photos are courtesy of the student-athletes. From left: Katie Graves, Addison Kincaid, Grace McKinney