WBB Recruiting: Badgers add first member of 2026 class
In-state standout Giselle Janowksi verbally committed to UW on Wednesday morning.
While in Chicago for Big Ten Media Day on Wednesday, Wisconsin Badgers head coach Marisa Moseley got some good news on the recruiting trail as the first member of her 2026 class announced her verbal commitment on various social media platforms. Giselle Janowski out of Pewaukee, Wis. posted on Instagram Wednesday morning that she is “truly honored to announce that [she] will be furthering [her] academic and athletic career at the University of Wisconsin!”
Her Pewaukee High School team ended Notre Dame’s (and UW freshman Gracie Grzesk who commented “Let’s gooo!! So excited to play with you” on Janowski’s post) three year run as WIAA Division 2 State Champions last year, finishing a 29-1 season with a 60-52 win in the finals. Janowski dropped 20 points in that state title game.
Giselle Janowski Fast Facts
Height: 5-foot-9
Position: combo guard
Number: 23 (PHS) or 25 (Lakers)
Class: 2026
Hometown: Pewaukee, Wis.
High School: Pewaukee High School
Club Team: Wisconsin Lakers (Under Armour)
Rankings: No. 4 player in Wisconsin for 2026 class per Prep Girls Hoops
Giselle Janowski Stats
Pewaukee High School (freshman/sophomore years; courtesy of WisSports.net)
59 games played
15.0 ppg
46.3% FG (297-of-642)
36.7% 3P (79-of-221)
79.4% FT (212-of-267)
4.6 rpg
3.2 apg
1.9 spg
0.4 bpg
turnover numbers seem, uh, not real as she only has nine reported over two seasons
Wisconsin Lakers (Under Armour Circuit; 2024 season)
14 games played
10.1 ppg
44.3% FG (43-of-97)
44.1% 3P (15-of-34)
83.3% FT (40-of-48)
3.8 rpg
2.0 apg
1.2 spg
0.6 bpg
2.0 topg
Janowski was the second-leading scorer on her AAU team this summer behind uncommitted Natalie Kussow, the No. 2 player in the state for 2026 according to Prep Girls Hoops, and she outplayed class of 2025 teammates and fellow D-1 commits Ella Todd (Utah), Addison Schliewe (St. Thomas), Jordan Fenske (Illinois State), Amy Terrian (Michigan State), Anna Terrian (Michigan State), and Makena Christian (Minnesota).
If you’ve been reading this profile and thinking “where else have I heard the name Janowski and Wisconsin basketball before” you must pay attention to men’s basketball recruiting too! Giselle’s older brother is Nick Janowski, at one point a top target for Greg Gard’s Badgers who ended up committing to Nebraska.
Highlights
Here is a link to her Hudl page as she doesn’t have any slick YouTube edits to embed
Scouting Report
Janowski, who also stars for the Pewaukee volleyball team, is the first commitment in Wisconsin’s 2026 class and is listed as a combo guard on multiple sites. After watching a handful of clips of her, I’d assume that Janowski will end up being primarily Not A Point Guard, but an off-guard that can be a secondary creator when needed. This is mostly an observation based on her athleticism which isn’t at Big Ten Point Guard levels yet. Now, she’s just entering her junior season and that’s an area that can certainly be improved as she gets older/stronger.
I came away impressed with Janowski’s long-range shooting. Her numbers are excellent on paper, but watching her mechanics on video solidified this as a “plus” skill for her moving forward. Her shooting motion is robotic (complimentary) in that it never changes from shot to shot and she isn’t afraid to shoot with a hand in her face. She has a nice, high release which will help in college, especially if she doesn’t grow another inch or two. The only problem I see is that her shooting motion is too slow. This is something that could naturally speed up as she gets stronger too. Her 3P% (and FT%) are extremely promising for a rising junior and I’m interested to see how she shoots this year.
Having never seen her play in person I can’t fully comment on what her defense looks like, but she has good steal numbers and the couple of clips I saw of her playing on that end make it look like she is a heady player that is usually in the right position to make a play. One last thing to note: while she can hang her hat on outside shooting, the fact that she draws so many fouls and gets easy points at the free throw line is a wonderful skill to have.