“This class is three young women who are not only elite basketball talents, but more importantly, they are three high character individuals with a drive that has been instilled in them by their families. When we were recruiting each of them, they expressed how excited they were to be a part of the Starkville community and Mississippi State because they could feel that women’s basketball matters here, and it wasn’t just words. This is the expectation and standard that we have established here. Our staff will continue to identify and target the best players in the world. I’m excited for the opportunity to coach these three and for the future of Mississippi State women’s basketball.”
Coach Purcell took over Mississippi State with a reputation of an elite recruiter, and once more he and his staff have showcased their dedication and talent to land the best. The 2025 unit marks the third-straight top-25 signing class under Purcell.
Mississippi State’s 2025 class has drawn praise from national media and leading scouting services. The class is ranked 10th by ESPN’s Top-25 Recruiting Class Rankings, the second-best in program history only behind the sixth-ranked 2019 class.
“Purcell has some serious length, athleticism and energy coming to Starkville in 2025, which is perfect for the SEC,” added Shane Laflin, Director of Premier Basketball Report. “This group will allow Purcell to play bigger lineups and increase the pace of play with defensive intensity next season.”
With the addition of three espnW HoopGurlz top-100 prospects, Purcell has now signed seven such players in his three classes at Mississippi State. Mississippi State is one of 13 programs in the nation to land three 2025 top-100 prospects.
The first to sign her Institutional Financial Aid Agreement to attend Mississippi State was Madison Francis. Francis, a 6-2 forward from Lancaster Central High School in Lancaster, N.Y., is ranked the No. 20 overall, No. 6 forward and top-rated prospect in New York by ON3. She is the highest-rated signee by the outlet to date under Purcell.
Francis is also listed as the No. 39 prospect by espnW HoopGurlz. Francis averaged 29.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, 5.7 steals and 5.1 assists in her junior season at Lancaster, in which she led her team to a 2024 NYSPHSAA Class AAA Title. She was one of 12 players to be named to the Team USA U18 National Team and took home a gold medal at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup Championship held in Bucaramanga, Colombia in June 2024.
Lampley, a 6-1 guard from Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, Ind., is ranked No. 38 overall and the second-rated prospect in Indiana by espnW HoopGurlz. She is the highest-rated recruit by the outlet to date under Purcell.
Lampley led Lawrence Central to a 2024 IHSAA Class 4A State Championship in her junior season, in which she averaged 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. She was named the 2023-24 MaxPreps Indiana High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The final addition during the early period was Nataliah Gray. Gray, a 6-3 forward from Alief Taylor High School in Houston, Texas, is ranked No. 95 overall and the sixth-rated prospect in Texas by espnW HoopGurlz.
Gray was Purcell’s first commitment of the class and has posted 20.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks over the course of her high school career. She has already surpassed 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds following her junior season.
Visit HailState.com and social media accounts @HailStateWBK for the most up-to-date information on Mississippi State women’s basketball.
MISSISSIPPI STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2025 SIGNING CLASS
Jaylah Lampley – 6-1 Guard Lawrence Central High School (IN) Indianapolis, Ind.
Madison Francis – 6-2 Forward Lancaster Central High School (NY) Lancaster, N.Y.
Nataliyah Gray – 6-3 Forward Alief Taylor High School (TX) Houston, Texas
