The words that kept popping up were ''athleticism'' and ''versatility.''

Those seemed to be the best descriptions of the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team's 2008 recruiting class, which Badgers coach Lisa Stone announced Wednesday, the first day of the early national letter of intent signing period.

UW added four players in Stone's fifth recruiting class: Anya Covington, a 6-foot-2 forward from Edwardsville, Ill.; Ashley Thomas, a 6-2 forward from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill.; Jamie Russell, a 5-7 guard from Rock Falls, Ill.; and Jade Davis, a 5-9 guard from Lone Tree, Colo., who attends Highlands Ranch High School.

''My staff did a great job in finding the right fit for our program, and ... our needs in terms of athleticism, being able to get to the basket, quickness, great hands,'' Stone said.

And just like this year's freshman class - made up of forwards Lin Zastrow and Tara Steinbauer and guard Alyssa Karel - Stone is expecting immediate contributions from the four players.

Adding guards was paramount, with four-year starters Jolene Anderson and Janese Banks departing after this season.

Russell, a former Golden Gloves amateur boxer, and Davis, the first Badgers recruit from Colorado and the latest NCAA Division I player to emerge from the storied Highlands Ranch program, will give UW depth on the perimeter next season. Russell can play either guard spot, while Davis more of an off-guard.

''We're not going to replace Jolene and Janese,'' Stone said. ''You just can't. But we certainly have brought in some players that fit very well with our team.''

Meanwhile, the additions of Covington, rated the fifth-best power forward in the nation by All-Star Girls Report, and Thomas, a versatile player capable of playing small or power forward, will provide the Badgers with two more athletic frontcourt players. Their presence might allow Stone to play sophomore forward Mariah Dunham on the wing, rather than at power forward, where the 6-1 Watertown native is working this season.

Covington, who's also an accomplished volleyball player and triple jumper, is the latest UW recruit from the Chicago Hoops Express AAU team. Banks, senior forward Danielle Ward and sophomore guard Teah Gant also played for coach Jerald Davis. Thomas and Russell, meanwhile, were AAU teammates with Illinois Full-Package, a team featuring eight Division I recruits.

''We'll be fairly young still next year, and we're counting a lot on all four of these freshmen to play for us,'' said Stone, whose team will have only one senior next year in center Caitlin Gibson. ''That's why we recruited them. We recruited them to come in and play and contribute.''

Injury report

Banks left practice early Tuesday to have tests done on a right leg injury. It's not clear when she suffered the injury, but it doesn't appear to be serious.

Senior forward Ivana Mijalcevic is still day-to-day after suffering a concussion in practice Nov. 6, when she and sophomore forward Brittany Heins collided in the post.