'26 PG Ariyana Cradle Commits to Louisville

Roughly seven months after landing their first commitment in the Class of 2026, Jeff Walz and the Louisville women's basketball program have picked up commitment No. 2.

Westerville (Oh.) SPIRE Academy point guard Ariyana Cradle, a four-star prospect in the cycle, announced Sunday that she has given her verbal pledge to the Cardinals. Cradle also held offers from LSU, Mississippi State, West Virginia and others.

Cradle has been a target of the staff for a long time, being recruited by Walz and Co. since the seventh grade and being offered early back in May of 2024. She is coming off of a visit to the Cardinals this past weekend, and recently took a visit to Michigan State as well.

The 5-foot-8 ball handler ranks as high as the No. 8 true point guard in the cycle and the 56th-ranked overall prospect in the nation, per ESPN. The On3 Industry ranking has her as the No. 71 recruit in the Class of 2026, and the No. 1 player in Ohio.

Cradle is coming off of a fantastic junior season, which was spent at Westerville (Oh.) South. In 24 games tracked by MaxPreps, she averaged 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 4.0 steals per game. She shot 40.9 percent from the field, as well as 35.5 percent on three-point tries.

She also took part in the Overtime Select earlier this summer, which is an eight-team tournament that showcases the some of the top high school girls prospects in the nation. Playing for the All Knighters, she averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, helping her squad win the Overtime Select championship.

She's the second 2026 prospect to commit to Louisville, joining Fort Wayne (Ind.) Homestead shooting guard Myah Epps, who pulled the trigger back in mid-February.