Nate Edwards, BYU Photo

He’s been on the job for a little over two weeks and new BYU women’s basketball coach Lee Cummard is busy shaping his program and his roster.

Cummard retained much of the Cougars’ previous talent and on Wednesday added a pair of highly-touted freshmen to the roster in Snow Canyon’s Olivia Hamlin and Nigerian forward Yussuf Bolanle.

Cummard’s roster is taking on a decidedly international flavor with the addition of Bolanle along with two Canadians (Delaney Gibb and Hattie Ogden), New Zealander Ariel Mackey-Williams and Mariam Traore from Mali, who joined the program in January to rehab from a knee injury. The sports website On3 posted on social media Wednesday that the Cougars will sign 6-foot-3 German center Lara Rohkohl, who last played at College of Charleston.

“As we navigate that (the transfer portal), it’s very clear who’s chasing money and who’s not,” Cummard said at his hiring news conference March 31. “The administration has been really supportive in that area, and we’re grateful for that, and we’ve approached it more focused on people that want to be here and be a part of something bigger than themselves and knowing, hey, we want everybody to feel valued and appreciated in the financial aspect of it.”

Now, a few words about the new Cougars:

Nate Edwards, BYU Photo

Hamlin flipped her commitment to Nebraska to play for Cummard. The 5-foot-10 guard from Santa Clara, Utah, is the 59th-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting class by Prospects Nation and the No. 2 player in Utah by Prep Girls Hoops. No. 1 player Emilee Skinner (Ridgeline) signed with Duke.

“The first thing that comes to mind about Olivia is her passion for the game of basketball and for BYU,” Cummard said. “She’s been an elite scorer at the high school level and on the Nike EYBL circuit over the last few years. We are thrilled that Olivia reopened her recruitment and that we were able to show her how she fits in the future of BYU women’s basketball.”

The product of Snow Canyon High School helped the Warriors to a 26-1 record and runner-up finish in the Utah 4A State Tournament. Hamlin led her squad by averaging 28.4 points on a 54.3 percent clip from the field while also contributing 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 5.5 steals per game. The 2025 graduate finished her high school career with 2,519 points, 465 steals and 318 assists, one of two players in Utah high school history with over 2,500 career points.

Hamlin led all classifications of Utah girls’ basketball in scoring and steals per game during the 2024-25 campaign at 28.4 points and 5.5 steals, respectively. Her 28.3 points also ranked 40th in the country for scoring. The incoming freshman played in 27 games, scoring 20 or more points 23 times, 30 or more in 12 games and set a school record with 43 points in a game against Crimson Cliffs H.S. on Jan. 23.

The newest member of the Cougar basketball family chose BYU over the likes of Clemson, Harvard, Marquette, Minnesota, Nebraska, TCU, UNLV and Virginia Tech.

Bolanle is a 6-3 forward from Lagos, Nigeria, who comes to BYU after playing her high school basketball at Kyoto Seika Gakuen in Japan. During her senior season in Japan, Bolanle averaged 24.7 points and 18.9 rebounds while helping her team win the championship of the U18 Nissin League, Saga Japan Games, Hokkaido Inter-High School Athletic Meet and the National High School Basketball Tournament Winter Cup.

“Yussuf is a tremendous young woman who joins us with great life experience,” Cummard said. “She’s a tireless worker who plays the game with athleticism and a physicality that Cougar Nation will love. She takes pride in dominating the paint. We are eager to get her with the team and working towards next season.”

Bolanle’s 24.7 points were the second most by any player in the league while her 18.9 boards led her division. She also received the All-Conference Top 5 and All-Defensive Top 5 Awards following her senior campaign.

Rohkohl, who is from Hanover, Germany, began her college career at Central Connecticut in 2022. She joined Charleston in 2023-24 and last season averaged 10. 1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Rohkohl shot a healthy 64% from the field and added 63 blocks and 51 steals.

Previously, BYU signed Montana guard Braeden Gunlock for the 2025-26 season and had a commitment from the Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year, point guard Sydney Benally. The status of those two players hasn’t been announced by Cummard yet.

BYU Women’s Basketball

New head coach Lee Cummard is putting together a roster for the 2025-26 season. Here’s a look a how it is coming together.

Expected to return

Naia Tanuvasa 5-10 So. G Highland, Utah

Arielle Mackey-Williams 5-9 R-Sr. G Nagati Porou, New Zealand

Delaney Gibb 5-10 So. G Raymond, Alberta, Canada

Kambree Barber 6-0 So. G Rigby, Idaho

Heather Hamson 6-3 R-Sr. F Lindon, Utah

Marya Hudgins 6-0 R-Jr. G Aurora, Colo.

Brinley Cannon 6-1 So. G/F Shelley, Idaho

Hattie Ogden 6-1 Sr. F Magrath, Alberta, Canada

Signed incoming freshmen/transfers

Olivia Hamlin 5-9 Fr. G St. George, Utah

Yussuf Bolanle 6-3 Fr. F Lagos, Nigeria

Braeden Gunlock 6-0 Fr. G/F Big Fork, Montana

Kailey Woolston 5-11 So. G Highland, Utah (returned missionary)

Mariam Traore 6-3 Jr. F Kati, Mali

Prospective signees

Sydney Benally 5-10 Fr. G Sandia, New Mexico

Lara Rohkohl 6-3 Sr. C Hanover, Germany (College of Charleston)