Gonzaga women earn first 2021 commitment, English forward Esther Little

Esther Little, an athletic forward with several years of international experience, is Gonzaga’s first oral commit of the class of 2021.

“It’s been a long time coming, but I couldn’t be happier that I have committed to Gonzaga University,” Little posted Tuesday afternoon on Twitter.

Little is scheduled to enroll at GU in the fall of 2021.

Little, a 6-foot-2 wing, has played at the senior women’s level in England for two years. She has won the U16 and senior women’s National Cups with Ipswich, alongside several division titles in the National Basketball League.

The 18-year-old Little has logged more than 50 games in international play.

Little has received multiple offers from Division I programs, she told Hoopsfix, a British website, although it’s unclear from which schools.

Nick Drane, her club coach at Ipswich, told Hoopsfix that he’s dealt with nearly 100 schools of varying levels.

“Narrowing it down and getting it to a manageable number for Esther to build a relationship with has been exciting,” Drane said.

Little said she “fell in love with everything about the program” during a visit to Gonzaga in September.

“From the moment I visited, it was going to take something incredible to sway me,” said Little, who will continue to play at Ipswich this fall.

Gonzaga has three commits for 2020, all of whom will enroll this fall. They include point guard Lily Scanlon of Sunbury, Australia; forward Yvonne Ejim of Calgary, Alberta; and guard McKayla Williams of Los Angeles.