Larsen stands out for as a well-rounded ball player capable of impacting the game in multiple areas. During a late January meeting with Iowa City High, the senior helped Prairie upset the No. 4 Little Hawks by committing to locking down on defense, finding open teammates and crashing the boards. The Northern Iowa pledge finished with seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals in a complete performance. Larsen flashes a smooth flow to her game. Height and long arms on the perimeter allow for defending multiple positions and success on the glass. They also help Larsen to generate clean looks over defenders and find open opportunities for others.

Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA is putting together a respectable Senior season before going off to UNI to compete with the Panthers in her near future. Larsen is that knock-down three point shooter with some unlimited range. Whenever she lets it go from deep, the shot looks picture perfect and it always looks like it’s going to have a chance of going in the bucket. No matter the distance or defense. Larsen also has been playing well in the defensive department. She is guarding her own at a steady rate and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon with her athletic ability and size at 5’11. Larsen might be called upon early with the Panthers to show what she can do. If she can play a mentally strong game, she should continue to thrive over her career but for now she will focus on finishing up her Senior Winter with a bang.

I’m curious to see how Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA comes out this Winter for her CR – Prairie team. Larsen, a UNI Panthers Women’s Basketball commit, is a sharp shooter from deep that can get hot in a hurry. She has proven over her years that she is one of the best shooters that Iowa has to offer but I’m hoping to see her take her game to another level this season. As a Junior, she scored the ball at a high rate (45%), mainly letting it go from distance. If she can build on that this time around, she will be looking good as she moves into the college ranks in the near future. She just has to stay confident in her abilities.

Rounding off our Top 10 is University of Northern Iowa commit, Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA of CR – Prairie High School. Larsen is classified as a lights out shooter from deep, with a well-rounded game in all other facets of the sport. She can catch on fire from beyond the arc in a hurry and every time she shoots it, it looks pure and like it has a chance to go in, no matter the distance. That’s going to be a weapon in her arsenal that translate for her at the next level. If she can start to learn over-time that as a shooter you have to have a 10-second memory, watch-out cause that confidence will take her to new heights in her individual game but with that being said, I still expect Larsen to fight for court time as a Freshman with the Panthers so make sure to keep an eye out for her name over the next few years out of the state of Iowa.

The UNI Panthers secured an important commitment this past weekend out of Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA of CR Prairie and Missouri Phenom 17U – Iowa. It’s always crucial to get in-state recruits to come to your program. If you can recruit in your home state well, you have something to build on. If you can’t, it is probably going to be tough sledding in the grand scheme of things. Larsen is a walking bucket at the SG position. Whenever she lets the ball go for a shot attempt, it always looks like it has a chance of going in. It’s picture perfect and usually right on-line, no matter the distance. I hope this play-style carries over to the Panther’s program. If it does, Larsen will be a name we hear about for more years to come out of the Cedar Falls area.

Over the past twelve months, Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA has been one of the hottest topics of conversation in the recruitment world out of Iowa. Larsen is debatably the best shooter in the state out of the 2026 Class. She can let it go from any distance and it always seems like it’s going to be good. When she competed in this event, she did a great job of switching things up. She didn’t just shoot. She drove, facilitated, moved into space, and ran some good overall concepts while on offense. Defensively, she showed some growth in my opinion. She showed off that she can stick with bigger or smaller opponents, it’s really whatever is needed of her at that time. I’m excited to stop in and see Larsen with her Missouri Phenom – Iowa 17U team this Spring. They will have 4-6 D1 players on roster so hopefully they can make some noise.

Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA stood out to me as the Hawks’ go-to scorer today. She started the game on fire, going 5/5 on three pointers to give the Hawks an early lead and all the momentum. She showed that she can hit contested jumpers off the dribble and on the catch. When Heelan pressured Larsen on the catch, she then displayed her athleticism off the bounce with a few strong layups and runners in the paint. Keep your eyes on Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA to put up some big numbers during her junior year.

If the CR – Prairie High School team is going to want to put together a great season, Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA is going to have to play out of her mind at some points and do a little bit of everything but in reality, Larsen looks to let it go from behind the three point line more than anything else when on the offensive end of the ball. The last time I saw Larsen compete, she was killing it at TOC Chicago with her Missouri Phenom 17U team. During this AAU season, I saw Larsen compete multiple times and each game, she favored the three ball over everything else, while being a super well rounded defender for her teammates. In the grand scheme of things for maximum success, Larsen will have to continue to be a complete prospect on the hardwood but this Winter, she will definitely looked upon to hit big jumpers, while defending some of the opposing team’s best players.

One of the biggest “come-ups” this AAU season was 5’11 Shooting Guard – Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA of The Missouri Phenom – Iowa Hub. Larsen started off her AAU season with a lot of question marks as it pertained to her game and she ended her AAU season with a handful of offers from the D2/D1 collegiate levels. Offers from schools like North Dakota State, Northwest Missouri State, Truman State, and South Dakota. Larsen is a knockdown shooter, that is going to be lights out at the next level as well so it’s not surprising to see this interest. This high school season, I’m sure there will be several recruiters stopping by to see this CR – Prairie team compete. For this upcoming Winter, they will have At LEAST six future collegiate prospects in some form, if they choose to pick that path later down the line. A pretty impressive number when you really think about it. As for Larsen individually, she is a bright player with an even brighter future ahead of her on the hardwood.

In our most recent 2026 Class Update for Iowa, Emily Larsen Emily Larsen 5'11" | SG CR - Prairie | 2026 State IA snuck into our Top 10 because of the Spring she has put together and this past weekend, she received her first D2 offer from Coach Theo Dean and The Truman State Bulldogs, as well as a D1 offer from NDSU. This interest is going to snowball for Larsen. I always talk about “opening the flood gates” and this is it. This offer is going to bring in a lot of interest from other colleges that might want to get their hands on her. Everyone else has seen coaches go out of their way now for her so more are willing to take a shot. As long as she continues to play like this into her high school season with Winter, she is going to kill and continue to move up the rankings for her 2026 Class at the same time.