MADISON, Wis. -- Head coach Jonathan Tsipis announced the signing of one of the best classes in Wisconsin women's basketball history, including three top-100 players. The Badgers sign Carmen Backes, a 6-1 wing from Lindstrom, Minnesota; Jasmine Hale, a 5-9 wing from Cincinnati, Ohio; Diamond Bragg, a 5-9 guard from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania; Imani Lewis, a 6-1 forward from Willingboro, New Jersey; and Maia Caito, a 6-4 post from Cranston, Rhode Island.

"I am extremely proud that these well-rounded and competitive young women have decided to join the Wisconsin women's basketball family," Tsipis said. "Our coaching staff built great relationships with each of these young women and I appreciate all the energy, effort and enthusiasm that Sasha Palmer, Myia McCurdy-Johnson and Craig Carter each provided to this exciting recruiting class. Individually, each member of the class has a strong desire to compete against the best and collectively this group wants to take Wisconsin Women's Basketball to the next level in the Big Ten."
 

Carmen Backes 

Backes plays for Chisago Lakes High School, averaging 27.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as a junior before missing the second half of the season with a torn ACL. The wing earned five high school letters for coach Craig Walker, playing up as a seventh and eighth grader, earning honorable mention all-conference honors as an eighth grader.  A four-star recruit by Prospect Nation, Backes is ranked as the No. 87 signee. She is also ranked 69^th by Blue Star Report.  

Backes also played for North Tartan AAU Club under coach Gerard Coury.  Current Badgers Courtney Fredrickson and Cayla McMorris, as well as former Badgers Alyssa Karel and Tara Steinbauer were also members of the North Tartan program. She is one of just three North Tartan players to be moved up to the top team as a freshman. The program earned three state championships and finished eighth at the 2016 Nike Nationals.

A 4.0 student, Backes is a National AP Scholar and academic all-conference selection.  

"Carmen is a gifted scorer who plays inside and out," Tsipis said. "She is a great shooter who plays with a toughness on both ends of the court. She is a great leader who has played at a high level in AAU with some of the best players in the country. She will bring a toughness to our team and fits with her versatility. Carmen's mom played college basketball and her dad was a national champion and Olympic shot putter."

Jasmine Hale

A three-time first-team all-conference and all-district honoree, Hale plays at West Clermont High School for coach Jeff Click. She earned honorable mention all-state honors as a junior and is ranked as the No. 28 guard by ESPN HoopGurlz. Hale is also ranked 128^th by Blue Star Report.

Hale played AAU ball with Cincinnati's Finest and coach Keith Starks. Her team finished third at the 2014-15 nationals.

 "Jas is a great slasher who can really get to the basket and score the basketball," said Tsipis. "She can score from the 3-point line and has a good mid-range jumper as well. She is a good on-ball defender, who disrupts opponents with her length. She comes from a very athletic family as her father played basketball and her mom played soccer at Florida State."

Diamond Bragg

Bragg averaged 21.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks per game as junior for coach Mark Clarke at Camp Hill High School. She earned Class 2A first-team all-state honors and was a finalist for Miss Pennsylvania Basketball. The Lions were 20-5 in 2016-17, winning their second straight district championship and second Mid-Penn Capital Conference Division championship. Bragg earned two player of the year honors and was also named the PennLive.com Girls' Athlete of the Year.

Bragg scored 1,000 points as a junior after leading the conference in points per game. Heading into her senior season, she is a Street & Smith Preseason honorable mention All-American. She is ranked 98^th by Blue Star Report.

A member of the Philadelphia Belles AAU team for coaches Brian Creech, Paul Martinez and Sharnee Norman-Zoll, Bragg aided her team to a final four finish at the Nike Nationals. She was also named the MVP of the Kahleah Cooper All-Star team. Bragg tried out for the USA U16 National Team and was named to the U.S. Junior Nationals Hershey All-Star team.

An outstanding student, Bragg has a 4.0 grade point average and is president of the business club and member of the National Honor Society.

"Diamond is a combo guard that is a dynamic scorer who attacks the basket with great aggressiveness," said Tsipis. "She can score in many different ways and is a skilled passer who always works to get the ball to people in a position to be successful. Defensively, Diamond uses her strength, athleticism and aggressiveness to pressure the ball. She plays the game extremely hard and led the Philadelphia Belles to EYBL Nike Nationals Semifinals this past summer."

Imani Lewis

Ranked as the No. 41 player and No. 6 forward nationally by Prospect Nation, Lewis averaged 17.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks as a junior at Life Center Academy for coach Hilton Clarke. She is also ranked 39^th by Blue Star Report.

Lewis earned MVP honors at the 2017 Mecca Showcase and She Got Game Classic. She scored 1,000 points as a junior. The forward also plays for Books and Basketball Academy AAU Club for coaches Antoine Sabb and Dwayne King.

"Imani is a very skilled left-handed forward who can play in the post and on the perimeter," Tsipis said.  "She has a great touch and gets to the basket off the dribble with a great first step. She is an active rebounder on both ends of the floor and uses her length to block shots and deflect passes. She plays much bigger than her size with her length and will be able to play several positions for us."

Maia Caito

Caito is ranked as a three-star prospect by ESPSN HoopGurlz. As a junior, she averaged 16.2 points, 11 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game at Cranston East High School for coach Frank Kiser. Caito earned first-team all-class and all-division honors and was also an honorable mention all-state pick. Her team won the Division II South championship and advanced to the state final four.

Caito earned high academic honors in the first three years of her high school career and ranks in the top 10 percent of her class. She is also the secretary for the National Honor Society.

She also plays with the Boston Showstoppers AAU team for coach Clinton Lassiter. The Showstoppers were the Zero Gravity National Champions while also winning the Zero Gravity Super Regional and the Run for the Roses Tournament.

"Maia is a strong post player who has good hands and active feet.  She will be able to battle the post players in the Big 10 with her size and strength.  She is a very skilled volleyball player and I think her ceiling is very high."