ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball, Emily Garner, has announced the addition of five student-athletes to join the Cornell women's basketball roster for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
 
"We're thrilled to welcome the Class of 2030 to the Cornell Women's Basketball family," said Garner. "This class brings a combination of toughness, versatility, and high-level basketball that aligns with our vision for the future of the program. Each of these women will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact both on and off the court. This is a class that embodies who we want to be—tough, unselfish, and driven. We're excited to get them on campus and begin the next phase of their development."
 
Cornell's five-member incoming class features a group of versatile, multi-sport athletes with proven leadership backgrounds and strong academic profiles. The class includes players from Texas, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. Among the newcomers are team captains, 1,000-point scorers, and student-athletes enrolling across five different Cornell colleges and schools. 
 
Simone Richmond • G • 5-6 • Allen, Texas

PRIOR TO CORNELL
Four-year letterman and captain (2023-26) at Allen High School ... UIL All-Region (2026) ... First Team All-District (2023-26) ... All-Academic Team (2022-26) ... scored 1,500 career points ... Raising Cane's Player of the Month (2024) ... Raising Cane's Player of the Week (2025, 2026) ... State Farm Player of the Month (2025, 2026) ... member of Student Athletic Leadership Team.
 
PERSONAL
Daughter of Stephanie and Sidney Richmond ... has an older brother, Sidney ... from Allen, Texas ... career objective is to become a lawyer ... enrolled in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, majoring in Political Science.

GARNER ON RICHMOND:
"Simone is a dynamic guard who plays with confidence and pace. She was an explosive scorer at the high school level, and her ability to create, make decisions, and compete on both ends of the floor fits well into our system. She has played at an extremely high level, and does the little things that elevate a team, which is exactly what we value in our program."
Rhylin Fehrenbach • G/F • 5-11 • Rochester, N.Y.

PRIOR TO CORNELL
Played at Long Island Lutheran one of the top prep schools in the country...helped lead the team to an 18-5 record in 2025-26 ... 2026 Coaches Award recipient…Attended Victor Senior High School in Rochester, N.Y....2023 First Team All-County Basketball (Section V)…2024 Player of the Year for Basketball (Section V)...also competed in track & field.
 
PERSONAL
Daughter of Noah Fehrenbach and Jennifer Robinson ... has two younger brothers, Breken and Cruz, and an older sister, Brynleigh ... from Rochester, New York ... enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, majoring in Global Development.

GARNER ON FEHRENBACH:
"Rhylin is the kind of player who impacts winning beyond the stat sheet.  While she can absolutely fill it up, she also brings toughness, positional versatility, and a relentless approach to the game. She played on a nationally-ranked high school program, so she understands the intensity and competitiveness that it takes to be successful in the Ivy League."
Emma O'Brien • G • 6-1 • LaGrange, Ill.

PRIOR TO CORNELL
Four-year letter-winner and two-year captain (2025-26) at Lyons Township High School ... IBCA Third Team All-State (2025, 2026) ... Shaw Local First Team All-Area (2026) ... Chicago Sun-Times All-Area (2025) ... All-Conference (2024-26) ... Team MVP (2026) ... two conference championships (2023, 2025) ... three regional championships (2023-25) ... also lettered twice in volleyball as an outside hitter, earning team captain honors (2025), a regional championship (2025), and All-State All-Academic recognition (2024, 2025) ... club ball with Illinois Lady Lightning ... member of National Honor Society and Lyons Township Athlete Leadership Program.
 
PERSONAL
Daughter of Carrie and Patrick O'Brien ... both parents attended the University of Kansas (Class of 1997) ... has an older sister (19) who attends Kansas ... born in Chicago, Illinois ... from LaGrange, Illinois ... career objective is to pursue a career in finance and business analytics ... enrolled in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

GARNER ON O'BRIEN:
"Emma adds size and versatility on the wing, with the ability to stretch the floor and defend. She has a great knack for the ball and creates extra possessions with her rebounding ability and length in the passing lanes. She can impact the game on both ends and fits perfectly with the culture we're building."  
Brooke Nunnally-Gardner • 6-0 • F • Stoughton, Mass.

PRIOR TO CORNELL
Played at Dexter Southfield School, Jamaica Plain and Brookline ... three-time NEPSAC All-Star (sophomore, junior, senior) ... two-time Coaches Award recipient (junior, senior) ... recorded 800 career rebounds.
 
PERSONAL
Daughter of Dawn Nunnally ... from Stoughton, Massachusetts ... career objective is to work in sports management ... enrolled in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

GARNER ON NUNNALLY-GARDNER:
"Brooke gives us versatility and strength inside. She has the tools to control the paint on both ends of the floor, and is a relentless rebounder on the interior.  She is a tireless worker, a great leader, and someone that we're excited to see develop into a dominant two-way player at the college level."
   
Katie Leonard • 5-11 • G • Moncure, N.C.

PRIOR TO CORNELL
Four-year letterman and two-year captain (2024-26) at Seaforth High School ... McDonald's All-American Game nominee ... North Carolina East-West All-Star Game selection ... All-State honoree... two-time All-Region ... four-time All-Conference ... four-time conference champion (2022-26) ... three-time State Final Four qualifier (2022-25) ... 2022-23 state runner-up ... club ball with NC Attack ... also a letter-winner in soccer and cross country.
 
PERSONAL
Daughter of Doris Lin and Jason Leonard ... has a younger sister, Megan (14) ... from Moncure, North Carolina ... career objective is to become an engineer ... enrolled in the College of Engineering.
 
GARNER ON LEONARD:
"Katie is a high IQ guard who has deep range and a quick release. She has great court vision, and can score, facilitate, and defend multiple positions. Her competitiveness and poise will make her a valuable piece of our backcourt, and we expect her to create matchup issues for our opponents."