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It’s been 16 years since the last time a Wichita-area basketball player has committed to play for the Wichita State women’s basketball team straight out of high school.
That long stretch came to an end on Thursday when Kapaun Mount Carmel senior-to-be Ella Anciaux, a 6-foot-4 versatile center in the class of 2021, verbally committed to WSU.
Although Adams cannot comment specifically on Anciaux until Anciaux signs her letter of intent in the fall, the coach did speak generally on targeting Wichita-area talent.
“We’ve worked really hard in building relationships with them at a young age and really getting to know them,” Adams said. “I know the importance of having a local player on our team. When they’re a starter and they come out, it gets a littler noisier in that arena. The fans love it. But it also has to be the right fit, basketball-wise. If it’s the right fit and they’re local, that’s a bonus.”
Since Adams arrived in 2017, her and her coaching staff identified a wealth of area talent on the horizon. In the 2021 class alone, there’s McPherson’s Grace Pyle and Heights’ Laniah Randle; in the 2022 class, there’s Andover Central’s Brittany Harshaw and the Heights’ duo of Zyanna Walker and Cayanna Stanley; and in the 2023 class, there’s the Derby duo of Addy Brown and Maryn Archer and Nickerson’s Ava Jones.
After years of letting talented players like that escape the area, Wichita State is starting to prioritize local recruiting and its presence has grown substantially. The Shockers have already extended scholarship offers to a handful of the players listed above.
The time and effort that Adams and her coaching staff spent years ago is now coming to fruition. Anciaux cited her long relationship with Adams as a reason why she felt comfortable joining the Shockers.
“I feel like I’ve known Keitha for a very long time, and they’ve been with me from the start,” Anciaux said. “I love how Keitha has always encouraged me and I love that family culture is an important thing for them. I also like the way she envisions me playing for her. She wants me to play the balanced game that I love to play.”
Although she’s 6-4, Anciaux is not the traditional, back-to-the-basket center. Although she does have post moves in the blocks, she is also capable of playing on the perimeter, shooting threes and driving to the basket.
Anciaux averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game in her junior season at Kapaun, earning first team all-City League and honorable mention all-class honors.
That long stretch came to an end on Thursday when Kapaun Mount Carmel senior-to-be Ella Anciaux, a 6-foot-4 versatile center in the class of 2021, verbally committed to WSU.
Although Adams cannot comment specifically on Anciaux until Anciaux signs her letter of intent in the fall, the coach did speak generally on targeting Wichita-area talent.
“We’ve worked really hard in building relationships with them at a young age and really getting to know them,” Adams said. “I know the importance of having a local player on our team. When they’re a starter and they come out, it gets a littler noisier in that arena. The fans love it. But it also has to be the right fit, basketball-wise. If it’s the right fit and they’re local, that’s a bonus.”
Since Adams arrived in 2017, her and her coaching staff identified a wealth of area talent on the horizon. In the 2021 class alone, there’s McPherson’s Grace Pyle and Heights’ Laniah Randle; in the 2022 class, there’s Andover Central’s Brittany Harshaw and the Heights’ duo of Zyanna Walker and Cayanna Stanley; and in the 2023 class, there’s the Derby duo of Addy Brown and Maryn Archer and Nickerson’s Ava Jones.
After years of letting talented players like that escape the area, Wichita State is starting to prioritize local recruiting and its presence has grown substantially. The Shockers have already extended scholarship offers to a handful of the players listed above.
The time and effort that Adams and her coaching staff spent years ago is now coming to fruition. Anciaux cited her long relationship with Adams as a reason why she felt comfortable joining the Shockers.
“I feel like I’ve known Keitha for a very long time, and they’ve been with me from the start,” Anciaux said. “I love how Keitha has always encouraged me and I love that family culture is an important thing for them. I also like the way she envisions me playing for her. She wants me to play the balanced game that I love to play.”
Although she’s 6-4, Anciaux is not the traditional, back-to-the-basket center. Although she does have post moves in the blocks, she is also capable of playing on the perimeter, shooting threes and driving to the basket.
Anciaux averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game in her junior season at Kapaun, earning first team all-City League and honorable mention all-class honors.
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