Wheaton, Ill. – Wheaton College head women's basketball coach Kent Madsen has announced the addition of four freshmen and one transfer  that have submitted their deposit to attend Wheaton College, with the intent to play for the Thunder women's basketball team beginning with the 2021-22 season.

Coach Madsen says of the group, "We are really excited about this year's newcomers. It's exciting to welcome a group of five freshmen and a transfer to the team that spans the country. One of the joys of recruiting at Wheaton is that it attracts student-athletes from New York to California as evidenced by these six players. We can't we to get them on the court and see this group mix with our returning talented players." The five newcomers for 2021-22 are:
 
Mya Adwalpalker (Bronx, New York/The Beacon School) is a 5'6" guard joining the Thunder after captaining The Beacon School to an undefeated regular season and the Sweet 16 of the city's championship tournament. The Beacon School ranked fifth overall in New York City's A Division. As a four-year varsity starter, Adwalpalker averaged just over 19 points per game and 5 assists per game. She was the leading scorer on her high school team and in her division, Manhattan A West. Adwalpalker holds her high school's record for the most three-pointers in a season at 47. In her junior year, she picked up the honor of being named the team's Most Valuable Player, and she ranked as a top twenty-five scorer in New York City. A dedicated student-athlete, Adwalpalker maintained a 3.9 grade point average and held a position as a teacher's assistant in Physics her senior year.
 
Bryn Durrill (Brighton, Colorado/Flatirons Academy) is a 5'8" guard who capped her high school career with a State Championship after being a four-year varsity player, four-year varsity captain, and a four-time Most Valuable Player for Flatirons Academy. She averaged 14.9 points per game, 3 assists per game, 5.9 rebounds per game and 2.8 steals per game as a senior. Durrill was recognized as a First Team All-State selection in 2021, and departs Flatirons Academy its career scoring record of 1,253 points. During her high school career, Durrill was a four-year First Team All-Conference honoree and led her team to league championships in 2020 and 2021. She made twenty-seven free throws in a row and ande scored 390 points as a freshman, to set two CHSAA records for those performances. Besides playing basketball at Flatirons, Durrill was a three-sport athlete and played volleyball and soccer as well. Outside of her athletic pursuits, Durrill was on the Honor Roll, and she participated in three Missions Outreach Trips to Northern Uganda.
 
Caylee Hermanson (Tustin, California/Tustin High School) is a 5'10" guard who graduated from Tustin High School averaging 19 points per game. During her career, Hermanson helped lead Tustin to the 2016–17 Empire League conference title. Hermanson collected a number of honors during her time in high school. She was a three-time All-Empire League selection, she was honored as the Empire League's Most Valuable Player, she was named to the Orange County Register All-County team, and she was an Orange County Athlete of the Week selection. While in high school, Hermanson was on the Honor Roll all four years. In her time at Chico State University, Hermanson was named to the Dean's List every semester and the 2019-2020 California Collegiate Athletic Association All-Academic team.
 
Zoe Lipke (Ada, Michigan/Forest Hills Central High School) is a 5'7" guard from Forest Hills Central High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was a four-year varsity starter and two-year captain of the basketball team. Zoe had a 36.0% 3-point field goal percentage and a 49.5% effective field goal percentage. She was honored with All-Conference awards during her junior and senior seasons. She played AAU basketball for Michigan Basketball Academy for eight years and won 2 Michigan State Championships. She also played soccer for Midwest United FC Development Academy. In addition, Lipke was honored as the Outstanding Student Leader of the Year and a Scholar Athlete while carrying a grade point average of 4.0+. She plans to major in Biochemistry with an ACS certification in Chemistry. She will be playing both soccer and basketball at Wheaton.
 
Alexis Martin (Schenectady, New York/Guilderland High School) is a 5'9" guard who averaged 14 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game and 2 steals per game in her senior campaign. Martin started her high school career at The First Academy in Orlando, Florida where she led her team to a District Championship Runner-Up performance and was named Second Team All-Area Orlando and the Offensive Player of the Year. At The First Academy, Martin averaged 17 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game and 3 steals per game in her junior year. As a senior, she competed for Guilderland High School in New York and was named the 2021 Guilderland Basketball Most Valuable Player. While in high school, Martin was a member of the National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society. She was a recipient of the President's Award.
 
Annika Richardson (Northfield, Minnesota/Northfield High School) is a 5'10" guard from Northfield High School who was a three-year varsity starter and four-year letter winner. Richardson averaged 20.5 points per game and ended her career by eclipsing the 1,000-point mark with 1,076 career points. That ranks her eighth all-time in school history. By grabbing 506 career rebounds and dishing out 138 assists, Richardson ranks eighth all-time in career rebounds and sixth all-time in career assists. Her performance on the court resulted in her being named the team's Most Valuable Player as a junior and senior. Richardson was a two-time All-Conference selection, and she received an Honorable Mention All-Conference nod as a sophomore. Off the court, Richardson was a Big 9 All-Conference tennis player, a two-time All-State violinist, an A-Honor Roll recipient all four years, a member of the National Honor Society and an Academic All-State selection. For the past two summers, Richardson played AAU basketball for North Tartan and the Minnesota Comets.