Brick by brick, Robin Pingeton continues to build a wall around the state of Wisconsin. Late in the evening, the Badgers picked up a local star high school player for the 2027 class, Ava Van Vonderen. She plays high school basketball at Kimberly High and plays club for Wisconsin Flight Elite. She's one of the top recruits in the state for 2027, and Pingeton has landed her as a Badger.
This is something Wisconsin fans dream of for every Badger sport, but something that hasn't happened much or even at all for Wisconsin women's basketball until Pingeton. Now, Wisconsin is on a bit of a heater in local recruiting.
I am so blessed and ecstatic to announce my commitment to the University of Wisconsin. A perfectly built culture, making a change in the community and a successful team on the court.Everything I want in a new home and I’m blessed I am finally apart of it. #OnWisconsin #Committed pic.twitter.com/1y49Or9JgB
— Ava Van Vonderen ‘27 (@AvaVanVonderen) January 23, 2026
Wisconsin has added Ana Van Vonderen to the 2027 women's basketball recruiting class
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The follow-up question to local recruiting, though, is always, how good is the player? Sometimes you can sacrifice talent just to grab local players. However, Van Vonderen is a rising star in the high school circuit. She's 6'0" and plays the wing but is also listed as a power forward. She has the flexibility to play in or out, and as she develops, that will help a ton at the college level.
Van Vonderen held offers from Butler, Milwaukee, DePaul, Marquette, Green Bay, and Princeton. This year, she was picking up even more steam as more coaches were swarming. However, Pingeton was able to keep her home.
For Pingeton, she continues to show her commitment to instate talent. On signing day for the 2026 class, she signed three in-state stars: Adaline Sheplee, Leah Nordin, and Giselle Janowski. Now she's already grabbed her first 2027 in-state player in Van Vonderen.
Wisconsin women's basketball is on the rise, both on and off the court. Pingeton seems to be the perfect hire for the Badgers.