High school girls basketball: Best team in all 50 states

Hazel Green
Coach Tim Miller has led the Trojans to the state tournament each of the past eight seasons, winning five straight. Last year's MaxPreps National Coach of the Year is zeroing in on 700 wins and returns four starters from last year's unbeaten squad. Leah Brooks, an Alabama commit, averaged 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds last season and leads a stout junior class that also includes Amiya Redus, Sydney Steward and Zyriah Price.

Alaska
Anchorage Christian (Anchorage)
The Lions are led by Washington commit Sayvia Sellers and dominated competition in the 49th state last season, going 24-3 and grabbing the 4A title. Also returning are Morgan Maldonado and Maliyah Alex.

Arizona
Valley Vista (Surprise)
The Monsoon grabbed their third-straight 6A title and fifth in six years, downing Perry and Khamile Pierre in the finals. Valley Vista lost Jennah Isai to graduation, but three of the top six scorers — Olivia Arvallo, Hannah Young and Jocelyn Chavez — return to a team that went 25-5 last season.

Arkansas
Conway
The Wampus Cats return a core that finished ranked but fell in the Arkansas 6A quarterfinals. Stanford commit Chloe Clardy draws comparisons to Christyn Williams of the Washington Mystics and averaged 24.5 points, seven rebounds and 3.4 steals last season. Savannah Scott, headed to Auburn, is a 6-5 post presence who is great with her back to the basket or cleaning up off the glass. The aggressive non-conference schedule should prepare them for a state title run and redemption.

California
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
The Trailblazers have the No. 1-rated player in the Class of 2023 in USC commit Juju Watkins. Head coach Alicia Komaki looks to bring her bunch back to the pinnacle with a second-straight CIF Open Division title. The Sierra Canyon coach is 5 for 5 in title games and the aggressive national schedule should serve the Trailblazers well in the postseason. The supporting cast includes MacKenly Randolph, Izela Arenas, Christy Reynoso and Crystal Wang.



Colorado
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch)
The Eagles fell to Grandview in last year's 6A finals and while the Wolves return sophomore sensation Sienna Betts, Valor offsets its graduation losses with Montana commit Macey Huard, daughter of former NFL quarterback Brock Huard, and sophomore Quinn VanSickle, who averaged 11.4 points while Huard was the second-leading scorer with 12.8 per night.

Connecticut
Holy Cross (Waterbury)
The Crusaders have gone 64-3 over the past three seasons and grabbed the Division M title in 2021-22 behind Iona commit Mya Zaccagnini, who scored 20 points including her 1,000th in the victory.

Delaware
Sanford (Hockessin)
The Warriors return a trio with experience from last season's runner-up finish as Azareya Kilgoe, Dallas Pierce and Jada Snow look to get back to the finals.

District of Columbia
Sidwell Friends
The reigning MaxPreps National Champions lose Kiki Rice, the MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year, to graduation but plan to reload rather than rebuild. And with Jadyn Donovan leading the charge that's a fair plan as she's the No. 3-ranked player in the Class of 2023. The coaching staff feels depth, size and balance will be strengths. Freshmen Jayla Jackson and Ava Yoon already have Division I offers and the 6-4 Zania Socka offers an imposing post presence.

Florida
Montverde Academy (Montverde)
The Eagles lost their two top scorers from last season but have a host of talent waiting to step into those roles. Mississippi State commit Mjracle Sheppard, Illinois commit Cori Allen, South Carolina commit Sahnya Jah and transfer and Kentucky commit Jordy Griggs give Montverde the depth to tackle what coach Special Jennings says is one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Georgia
Lumpkin County (Dahlonega)
Though an AAA school, the Indians are the reigning champions, have fared well in several preseason polls and return all the pieces from their title run. Starters Lexi Pierce, Ciera Brooks, Averie Jones, Mary Mullinax and Kate Jackson all are back with four of the five grabbing all-state honors.

Hawaii
'Iolani (Honolulu)
The Raiders lost first-team all-state players Jaety Mandaquit to a mainland transfer and Jovi Wahinekapu Lefotu to graduation, but the reigning state champions look to repeat with guards Abby Tanaka, Haylie-Anne Ohta and Paige Oh and center Mele Sake.

Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
The Vikings return nearly everyone from an 18-5 team last season. Madison Symons, a 6-foot center, averaged 18.3 points last year while the 5A IEL MVP passed the 1,000 career-point mark as well She's joined by Libby Awbery, Kelsey Caroll, and Teagan Colvin.

Illinois
Benet Academy (Lisle)
The Redwings look to improve upon last season's 4A third-place and 30-5 finish. Indiana commit Lenee Beaumont returns after the 6-1 guard averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4.5 assists to earn all-state honors. She's joined by sisters Maggie Sularski and Emilia Sularski along with Samantha Trimberger.

Indiana
South Bend Washington (South Bend)
The Panthers won last season's 3A title and have a lot of firepower returning from the 27-3 squad. Senior Rashunda Jones returns after posting 11.6 points per night, while coach Steve Reynolds' two youngest daughters, sophomore Kira Reynolds (10.6 points, 10.0 rebounds per game) and senior Amiyah Reynolds (9.2 points per game), also are back. Amiyah is committed to Maryland.

Iowa
Johnston
The Dragons won the 5A title and finished No. 16 in the final MaxPreps Top 25. Chad Jilek's bunch returns Iowa State commit Aili Tanke, junior Aaliyah Riley, senior captains Molly Noelck and Emma Hampton along with Jayce Blanchard and Isabella Balsley.

Kansas
Derby
The Panthers enter the season with a ton of experience from last season's 6A runner-up finish, a youthful core and the quest to finish the job this season. Leading Derby's charge is senior Addy Brown, who led the team with 14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season. Joining her are Naomi White (10.8 points per game) and Maryn Archer (10.0).



Kentucky
Sacred Heart (Louisville)
ZaKiyah Johnson, the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year, averaged 17.8 points and 7.8 boards for the two-time state champions. The No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2025 by ESPN HoopGurlz leads a nucleus of six contributors from last year, including junior Reagan Bender (11.4 points per game), Angelina Pelayo (9.5) and Triniti Ralston (8.3).

Louisiana
Parkway (Bossier City)
The Panthers are fueled by LSU commit and the No. 2-rated player in the senior class Mikaylah Williams. She posted 22.8 points, 8.0 boards and 3.7 assists in a runner-up finish last season. She has help around her with Makenna Miles, Ty’lissa Henderson, Chloe Larry and Aniya Russell.

Maine
Cheverus (Portland)
Junior guard Maddie Fitzpatrick and junior post Emma Lizotte return to help the Stags defend their title after going 17-2 to win the AA title.

Maryland
Bishop McNamara (Forestville)
The Mustangs are led by UConn commit and Preseason MaxPreps All-American Qadence Samuels. They went 20-5 last season, with all but one loss to teams in the MaxPreps Top 25. Joining Samuels are Zhen Craft, top 10 2024 guard Madisen McDaniel and Maise Crowley.

Massachusetts
Norwood
The Mustangs lost Villanova commit Meg Olbrys, but juniors Tricia Wladkowski and Alexa Coras each return for new coach Kristen McDonnell, who comes over from the boys team.

Michigan
West Bloomfield
The Lakers blitzed their way to the school's first Division I state title behind rising junior twins and Michigan State commits Indya Davis and Summer Davis, both top 60 recruits. Rising senior Sydney Hendrix is committed to Florida A&M and the team returns five of the top seven players from a squad that is riding a 25-game win streak into the season.

Minnesota
Hopkins (Minnetonka)
The Royals have lost two games in four seasons and return a big portion of the lineup that only dropped a game to last season's MaxPreps National Champion Sidwell Friends. Alivia McGill is the No. 14 player in the Class of 2024 while Stanford commit Nunu Agara is No. 37 in the 2023 class and Michigan commit Taylor Woodson No. 59. The Royals should get depth from sophomores London Harris, Lauren Hillsheim and Dilan Tubbs.

Mississippi
Germantown (Madison)
Madison Booker is back and the state player of the year and Texas commit looks to get the Mavericks to a title after falling short last season. Booker, who won two golds with USA basketball, averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds as Germantown went 24-7. Joining Booker are junior Alana Rouser and Julia Glasgow.



Missouri
Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
Montana

Nebraska
Elkhorn North (Elkhorn)
Britt Prince is back for the Wolves after a 26-1 season and Class B title. She will lead the charge for a three-peat for the school that opened in 2020. Along with Prince are 6-2 senior Grace Heaney and 5-11 Hannah Nadgwick.

Nevada
Centennial (Las Vegas)
While Karen Weitz, the winningest coach in state history, has taken on the Bulldogs' boys team as well, she remains committed to running toward an eighth straight title on the girls side. Losing Montaya Dew to early graduation hurts, but Kaniya Boyd, Danae Powell and Charlece Ohiaeri all were key parts to last season's title.

New Hampshire
Bedford
The Bulldogs return Emma Kasyjanski, Lana McCarthy and Kate Allard from a 15-4 team that lost in the Division 1 final.

New Jersey
St. John-Vianney (Holmdel)
Zoe Brooks, regarded as a top 10 prospect in the Class of 2023, is a do-it-all player who looks to take over the lead role after Madison St. Rose's graduation. She averaged 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 3.7 assists as the Lancers only lost to Sidwell Friends. Janie Bachmann, a Holy Cross commit, is a 6-foot swing who's comfortable on the perimeter or in the paint. Breana Delaney, Ashley Sofilkanich, Mikaela M Hubbard, Aleena Dinker and Julia Karpell help the Lancers with an in-your-face press defense and an attack, up-tempo offense.

New Mexico
Volcano Vista (Albuquerque)
The Hawks are looking for a 5A three-peat this season after going 29-0 for the title. They carry a 42 game win streak and bring back seven players from last season, including 6-1 junior Taejhuan Hill (12 points per game) and Storm Nguyen (3.8).

New York
Long Island Lutheran (Brookville)
LuHi lost McDonald's All American Paris Clark but Kate Koval, Uta Nakamura and Diora Ressaissi all return. Koval, a 6-5 post who dropped an 18.7-12.0 double-double last year, has seen her stock rise over the club season. She's physical on the block and can be a matchup nightmare.

North Carolina
Northern Guilford (Greensboro)
The Nighthawks fell to eventual 4A champ Chambers and return all but one player from a 28-1 team. Leading the way for Kim Furlough's squad are Christina DeLisa, Laurel Zlotkowski and transfer Skyler Fowler.



North Dakota
Century (Bismarck)
It's hard to bet against a team with Nebraska commit and two-time state MaxPreps Player of the Year Logan Nissley. She averaged 22.0 points and 9.9 rebounds a game for the 24-1 Patriots. She connected on 45 percent of her 3-pointers and 81 percent of her free throws.

Ohio
Purcell Marian (Cincinnati)
The Cavaliers look to repeat as Division 3 champions after losing only one player to graduation while starting five freshmen in the title game. Sophomore Dee Alexander was the D3 player of the year after averaging 24.5 points and 12.2 rebounds as her squad went 27-1 to capture their first title. She's joined by Ky Miller and Jayda Mosley.

Oklahoma
Classen SAS (Oklahoma City)
The Comets finished No. 7 in the MaxPreps Top 25 and though they lose All-American Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, there's plenty coming back for James Perinovic's squad, including Jaida O'Conner. She averaged 10 and six last season and signed with Louisiana-Monroe.

Oregon
Beaverton
The Beavers went 25-1 and took home the 6A title with a young team. Returning all-state selections include OregonLive's POY Lainey Spear, Zoe Borter and Madison Naro.

Pennsylvania
Plymouth Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting)
First team all-state choice Abby Sharpe returns for the state champions, who also ended the season No. 23 in the final MaxPreps Top 25. Joining Sharpe is Erin Daley (9.5 points per game) along with Angelina Balcer and Azzareya Crumpton.

Rhode Island
North Kingstown
All-state first team selection Jordan Moreau and Jillian Rogers both return to lead the Skippers after winning the D1 title last season. Moreau nearly averaged a double-double while Rogers dropped 19.2 per night as the team went 23-2.

South Carolina
Camden
The Bulldogs return four of their top five scorers from last year's 21-7 AAA runner-up, including Joyce Edwards. She averaged 23.8 points and 12.3 rebounds and is joined by junior Morgan Champion (12.5 points per game), Deanna Jeffcoat (8.0) and Zyasia Carter (7.4).

South Dakota
O'Gorman (Sioux Falls)
The Knights return a ton of talent that went 21-3 and won the AA state title a year ago. All-state guard Mahli Abdouch (13.1 points, 5.4 assists per game) leads the way for Kent Kolsrud's bunch.

Tennessee
The Webb School (Bell Buckle)
The Feet won a second-straight Division II-A title last year and 6-6 traditional post Aalyah Del Rosario has emerged as a force as part of the US U18 gold medal-winning team over the summer. The LSU commit averaged 7.3 points and a team-high 7.8 boards. Bree Robinson was part of Team Canada at the U17 and Angelica Velez also is headed to LSU with Del Roasrio.

Texas
DeSoto
The Eagles are coming off a year in which they won the Texas 6A title while only dropping two games, both to MaxPreps National Champion Sidwell Friends. In addition to Class of 2024 guards Nisaa Muhammad and Mylasia Smith, transfer Vivian Franklin should lead a core that also includes four freshmen — Amayah Garcia, Rieyan DeSouze, Amari Byles and Kamora Pruitt — with multiple Power 5 offers. DeSoto hasn't lost to a Texas team on the court since 2020.

Utah
Lone Peak (Highland)
BYU commit Kailey Woolston was the state player of the year averaging nearly 20 points and six rebounds. She leads a squad that Nancy Warner says is relentless on both ends of the floor. The addition of Woolston's younger sister Kennedy Woolston, an all-around player on offense, will make an immediate impact as the Knights will test themselves early in the season.

Vermont
Rice Memorial (South Burlington)
State player of the year Elyce MacDonough is back for a chance at a state title repeat. The Green Knights were also on the verge of a title in 2020 when COVID canceled the season.

Virginia
St. Paul VI (Chantilly)
The Panthers went 22-8 last season and spent time in the MaxPreps Top 25. They grabbed a VISAA Division I title and return a stacked lineup that includes Brooke Batchelor, Anna Kunzwiler, Louis Volker, Laura Williams and 2025 6-1 wing Riley Hamburger.

Washington
Garfield (Seattle)
The Bulldogs were young when they ran the table last year en route to a 3A state title and No. 21 finish in the MaxPreps Top 25. Katie Fiso shined with 22.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game while Malia Samuels committed to USC and Imbie Jones is headed to Wisconsin.

West Virginia
Huntington
The Highlanders downed Morgantown in last year's 4A finals and take the nod here with Amara Jackson (11.2 points per game), Lacee Smith (9.3), Jada Turner (8.7) and sophomore Ella Giles (5.2) all returning.

Wisconsin
Germantown
The Warhawks went 23-6 last season before a quarterfinal upset in the Division 1 bracket. MaxPreps All-American and UConn commit K.K. Arnold is back for her senior year after averaging 24.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 4.4 steals. The Warhawks also return three players who averaged more than 4.9 points, including Rachel Murphy, Danica Gosz and Lucy Leininger.

Wyoming
East (Cheyenne)
The Thunderbirds begin the season nine wins from breaking the state mark of 48 straight wins after going 28-0 last year en route to the 4A title. They return all-state players Boden Liljedahl and Bradie Schlabs.