A more surprising commitment out of the 2026 Class occurred over the weekend as PG, Claire Turner Claire Turner 5'8" | PG Spirit Lake | 2026 IA of Spirit Lake High School verbally agreed to sign with NDSU to compete on the soccer pitch. Turner is a Top 25 prospect out of the 2026 Class at the PG spot because of her endurance, her next-level play making ability, and her craftiness once she gets into the teeth of the defense off the dribble. I would assuming that Turner would be getting a ton of attention this AAU Basketball season so I thought she might wait to pull the trigger on this one but when it’s right, it’s right. This is what she wants to do moving forward and we wish her the best. That doesn’t mean that you can stop worrying about her on the high school floor though. I’m sure Turner is going to be more motivated than ever to get back on the court and end things off with a bang for her Senior season.

Regular season basketball and Playoff basketball are two completely different things. Everything tightens up in the Playoffs. Everything matters a little bit more and players nerves seem to come out because of that. Someone who has done a great job of keeping it business per usual is Claire Turner Claire Turner 5'8" | PG Spirit Lake | 2026 IA of Spirit Lake. Turner is a PG that has been a hot topic this season in the terms of recruitment at the next level. For her Spirit Lake program she has put together some great games this season, showing her worth each and every night. In their first round victory on Wednesday, Turner led the team by example. She did her thing in the scoring, assisting, and rebounding categories while being vocal and being a great team captain. Not to mention, she displays the smarts and ability to play at the next level once her high school career comes to a close. This all seems like simple stuff but it’s much easier said than done.

Claire Turner Claire Turner 5'8" | PG Spirit Lake | 2026 IA set a new school record last week with a 40 point performance. This breaks the previous record of 39, that had been held since 2010. The most important part of having a big showing is doing it efficiently. If you can score 50 points, it really isn’t that noteworthy if you do it on 50 shot attempts. With this 40 point game, Turner did it on 18-25 shooting, giving her a 72% scoring rate when letting it go. In other words, Turner was feeling it from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Each Winter there are a small group of players that do really well at the high school level, boosting their college recruitment and Turner is in that conversation right now. Her consistency has been second to none. Now it’s all about using that momentum and continuing to build.

Spirit Lake High School is slowing putting together another memorable season and that is due in part to their PG – Claire Turner Claire Turner 5'8" | PG Spirit Lake | 2026 IA . Turner is a PG with crafty moves, adaptability, and a lot of talent for her position. On both the high school and AAU scene, this has always been a player that has shown up. It doesn’t always mean she is scoring at a high rate but it means that she is producing as her team’s leader on the floor and that’s all you can ask for from a coaching perspective. I think Turner is a college level prospect. She does too many good things to not get a shot like that so I’m sure that she will have some suitors moving into AAU ball but I guess we will have to wait and see.

I like what Claire Turner Claire Turner 5'8" | PG Spirit Lake | 2026 IA brings to the floor whenever she is competing. She brings a seasoned play-style with some crafty abilities to finish or facilitate in a number of different ways. I was unfamiliar with Turner’s game until the start of her Sophomore year at Spirit Lake but she made it known pretty early that she was the real deal. I don’t think that Turner has any college offers at this point but it’s only a matter of time. This is someone that a coach can bring in to lead their team as another coach on the floor. She is also a solid soccer prospect as well so you can tell that she has pure athletic ability in everything she does. When you add those things together, it’s usually a recipe for success.

This AAU season, Claire Turner Claire Turner 5'8" | PG Spirit Lake | 2026 IA of Spirit Lake High School stepped onto the court with something to prove and she has been doing just that moving into this month of July. Turner is a quick thinking, fast acting guard, that is a master at orchestrating her team’s offense, while being an able and willing attacker in both the half and full courts. Turner can be shockingly good. Sometimes she pulls a move out of nowhere that makes anyone watching audibly say, “wow.” This AAU season with her Lady Pure Prep team, her ability has been shining through and she has proven that she is a born leader on whatever team she is competing with. If she keeps this up, she is going to be a hot commodity for a handful of recruiters at the collegiate level as she starts to think about her future after her high school career comes to an end.