Iowa Hawkeyes target Kate Harpring flaunts a present from Gatorade following POY honor

Kate Harpring, a five-star prospect from the class of 2026, was honored as the 2024-25 Gatorade Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year on March 13. On Friday, Harpring took to Instagram to share a gift from Gatorade. The package in her story featured an orange basketball-themed bag as part of the brand’s recognition for top high school athletes.

“Thank you @gatorade 🧡,” Harpring wrote.

Kate Harpring via Instagram

The 5-foot-10 athlete from Marist School in Atlanta, Georgia was recognized for her exceptional performance during the season. She averaged 32.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.1 steals, 3.7 assists and 1.2 blocks.

She led Marist to a 29-3 record and an undefeated 16-0 run in Georgia's AAAA Region 5 league. The junior point guard played a key role in the 2025 GHSA State Tournament, where her team reached the Final Four even though they later lost to eventual champions Creekside.

On the Gatorade Player of the Year website, Kyle Snipes, coach of St. Pius X High, praised Harpring on her performances throughout the season.

“Kate has been outstanding this season," Snipes said. "She has elevated her game so much between her sophomore year to her junior year. Kate makes that team go. Her basketball IQ is really next level for a kid in high school.”

According to On3, Kate Harpring is currently ranked as the nation's No. 2 recruit in the class of 2026 and is the top player among the point guards.

She has amassed 2,533 points in her high school career. Her impressive performance has earned her offers from major college basketball programs, including Iowa, UConn, LSU, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Kate Harpring visits UCLA amid Iowa Hawkeyes speculation

Kate Harpring was recently seen taking an official visit to UCLA. On Friday, she shared photos from the visit on Instagram as she posed with her family and UCLA coach Cori Close.

"Go Bruins??💙💙 #officalvisit #uncommitted," Harpring wrote on Instagram.

The star player also made an unofficial visit to Iowa on Feb. 5 and met coach Jan Jensen and Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark.

According to On3’s Recruitment Prediction Machine, Georgia Tech, where her father Matt Harpring played four years of college basketball, holds a 47.3% chance of commitment, followed by Georgia with 41.4%.

Alabama has a 3.2% chance, and several colleges, including Iowa, Maryland and South Carolina, among others, have less than a 3.0% chance to sign the young prospect.