Baylor recruiting received five signed National Letters of Intent for women’s basketball on the first day of the early signing period Wednesday. The talented group of new Lady Bears is the best class in the nation according to ESPN Hoopgurlz and Prospects Nation.

All five players, Caitlin Bickle, Aquira DeCosta, Queen Egbo, Honesty Scott-Grayson and NaLyssa Smith, are rated as 5-star recruits and are in the Top 30 overall prospects of ESPN’s recruiting rankings.

The 2018 signees are also the best class Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey has signed during her historic 18-year tenure at Baylor.

“I am thrilled to welcome these five talented and well-rounded young ladies to the Lady Bear basketball family,” Mulkey said. “This group is some of the most versatile players in program history. They will continue to help us keep our program at an elite level, which gives us a lot to look forward to in the future.”

Meet the class that has already earned the nickname “Fierce Five.”

NaLyssa Smith (East Central High School / Converse, Texas)

Smith is ranked No. 8 overall by ESPN and No. 3 overall by Prospects Nation. The 6-foot-3 forward averaged 23.2 points, 17.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per contest as a junior. Smith can score from everywhere on the floor and terrorizes opposing players on defense.

She can also do this:

Oh, and THIS happened tonight! 2018 Nalyssa Smith will be doing this in games in due time! #Finest pic.twitter.com/2ZJzqgcjww

— SA Finest Basketball (@SAFinestbball) March 29, 2016

“We’ve been following NaLyssa and recruiting her heavily for the last five years,” Mulkey said. “She is one of the most versatile players in the 2018 class. NaLyssa has the ability to play and defend every position on the floor. She can certainly be one of the most impactful players we’ve had in our program, and keeping her in-state was a high priority for me and my staff.”

Aquira DeCosta (St. Mary’s High School / Stockton, California)

DeCosta is the No. 1 ranked forward in the country by ESPN and was a member of the 2016 U17 World Championship and 2015 U16 National teams. As a junior, DeCosta averaged 18 points, 13 rebounds and 4 steals per game. At 6-foot-3, DeCosta dominates the offensive glass while also displaying 3-point range and a deft handle of the basketball.

“Her athleticism is limitless and her best days of basketball are in front of her,” Mulkey said. “We can’t wait to continue to grow her game and see her make an impact on our team.”

Caitlin Bickle (Cactus Shadows High School / Cave Creek, Arizona)

Bickle is a 6-foot-2 forward and the 28th overall player in the country according to ESPN. Bickle has led her high school to back-to-back state championship games, and as a junior, she averaged 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. She will be a matchup problem for opposing teams as she is a more than capable 3-point shooter.

“I think she can add a lot to our team as an aggressive player and a confident three-point threat,” Mulkey said. “She’s somebody that puts the team first, loves to compete at the highest level and has a high IQ for the game that can’t be taught. Caitlin is the ‘glue’ player of this class.”

A player who puts the team first… glue player of the #FierceFive class… every team needs a kid like her… But only Baylor gets her talents next year! 🏀🐻🖊 #SigningDay #FutureBU18 #SicEm pic.twitter.com/mHw7P8AdD2

— Baylor Lady Bears (@BaylorWBB) November 9, 2017

Queen Egbo (Travis High School / Houston, Texas)

Egbo is the No. 15 player in ESPN’s overall rankings. A 6-foot-3 center, Egbo possesses tremendous shot blocking ability and post presence, and runs the floor well. She averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game as a junior.

“We saw Queen at Baylor camps throughout the years and quickly realized she is one of the best post players in the country,” Mulkey said. “Watching her play, you can see she has strong post skills and has the ability to face up and score. Her athletic ability to track down and block shots is second to none. It was a priority for our staff to keep her in-state”

Ability to track down and block shots is second to none… will continue the post play tradition… Love that she’s staying in-state to play at Baylor! 🏀🐻🖊 #SigningDay #FutureBU18 #FierceFive #SicEm pic.twitter.com/OtdScyN77J

— Baylor Lady Bears (@BaylorWBB) November 8, 2017

Honesty Scott-Grayson (Riverdale Baptist High School / Upper Marlboro, Maryland)

Scott-Grayson is a 5-foot-10 guard from New Jersey. She is rated No. 18 overall and No. 2 by position by ESPN, and No. 5 overall and No. 1 by position by Prospects Nation. Scott-Grayson chose Baylor over Connecticut, Notre Dame, Louisville, Maryland, Duke and Texas.

“She is a floor general, wants the ball at the end of games and is a great playmaker,” Mulkey said. “Her quickness and athletic ability separates her from the rest. I’m excited to see how much she adds to the perimeter next season.”

https://twitter.com/BaylorWBB/status/928388934773723136