Top 2027 recruit Lauren Hassell has committed to Vanderbilt, she announced on Friday afternoon. The 6-3 forward from Clarksville (TN) chose the Commodores over Louisville and North Carolina.
“It’s close to home,” Hassell previously told Rivals of her experience with Vanderbilt. “It’s literally only 30 or 40 minutes away. I’ve had a relationship with that coaching staff since middle school, so being able to grow and see how far the program has gone, being right up the street, has been really cool too. I’m having relationships with the people they’re bringing in too.”
There were several factors that played a role in her decision.
“Keeping those relationships,” Hassell said of factors that will aid in her decision. “But I don’t worry about that as much, because I know the people I talk to. They stay connected with me, talk to me quite often, just check on me with the injury. Another thing now that I have to look at, just getting older, is probably who I’m going to be playing with. Because that’s a big thing that, when I was in middle school, I didn’t really have to look at that because they would be long gone. Just knowing who will be there when I’m there and if there are coaching changes.”
Hassell also discussed what she was looking for in play style.
“Honestly, just a system where I can just be myself,” Hassell said. “Because I feel like the way that I’ve been trained my whole life and worked out my whole life, I can fit in any system I go to, just because of my versatility. I really don’t mind if I can still do what I want to do, if that makes sense.”