UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball signs one of the nation’s top combo guards to its 2025-26 signing class, welcoming Chikae Desdunes to the Lady Lion family. Ranked no. 51 overall in ESPN’s class of 2026, she becomes the highest ranked incoming freshman for the Lady Lions since 2020. The versatile guard is head coach Carolyn Kieger’s first addition to her signing class.
Kieger said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Chikae to our Penn State family. She’s a dynamic guard who plays with tremendous pace, poise, and confidence. Her basketball IQ and feel for the game allow her to make great decisions and elevate everyone around her. She’s also a knock down shooter who can stretch the floor and score at all three levels. Her ability to create for others and impact the game on both ends fits perfectly with our style and culture. Most importantly, she embodies the values of our program; work ethic, competitiveness, and joy.”
Desdunes arrives in Happy Valley following an impressive high school career at both John Curtis Christian School in New Orleans, La. and DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla. She quickly became a standout athlete at John Curtis, leading her team to State Championships in 2022 and 2024 while earning All-State honors along the way. After transferring to DME for her junior and senior seasons, she continued to shine, averaging 12.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last year in addition to surpassing 2,000 career points in her high school career. Desdunes’ success as a junior was recognized on the national level when she was named to the All-Grind Session Team.
In addition to her high school basketball success, the premier guard has had a stellar AAU career playing for Cyfair Elite EYBL. She has helped her squad to two Final Four appearances in her three seasons and garnered a second team All-EYBL honor.