High school girls basketball: Best team in all 50 states heading into the 2023-24 season

The Trojans went 36-1 last season and won their sixth straight Class 6A title. They return significant pieces of that team, including MaxPreps Junior All-American Leah Brooks, who averaged 16.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Alaska — Wasilla
Layla Hays is the top player in the state and looking for a Class 4A title after coming up one win short a year ago. The 6-5 junior averaged 20 points per game last season.

Arizona — Desert Vista (Phoenix)
The Thunder won the inaugural Open Division title last season but lost MaxPreps Co-Freshman of the Year Jerzy Robinson to transfer. Still, Stanford commit Shay Ijiwoye returns after posting 13.3 points per night. She will have help from senior Eanae Dagons (10.1 points per game) and junior Dylan Swindle (9.7).

Arkansas — Conway
It's tough to replace a perennial MaxPreps All-American like Chloe Clardy (Stanford) but the Wampus Cats have started the season with three wins behind what coach Ashley Hutchcraft says are three elite guards in Alivia Cox, Samyah Jordan, Emerie Bohanon.

California — Etiwanda
The reigning CIF Open Division champion has one of the best guard-forward combos in the country in Puff Morris and Kennedy Smith.

Colorado — Grandview (Aurora)
The Wolves have won state titles in back-to-back seasons and return recent UCLA commit Sienna Betts to the lineup. The junior averaged 21.4 points and 16.5 rebounds during last year's title run. She is joined this year by junior Deija Roberson and Lexi Yi as they look for the three-peat.

Connecticut — Newington
The Nor'easters return their top three scorers after a 20-5 season that ended with a Class LL semifinal berth. As sophomores, Bela Cucuta averaged 17.4 points, Selah Prignano dropped 10.3 points and Kendall Miller added 9.4.

Delaware — Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, Del.)
The Raiders fell twice to Sanford last year, once in the regular season and in the DIAA state final. Returning after the 22-2 season are sophomores Taylor Brown, who averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 steals in her freshman season, as well as Jezelle Banks (11.8 points per game), Abby Grillo (7.3) and sophomore Emma Anthony (6.3).

District of Columbia — Sidwell Friends
Finished No. 5 in the MaxPreps Top 25 last season, one year removed from a national championship. This season, they enter with a pair of UCLA commits in Kendall Dudley and Zania Socka along with sophomore sensation Jayla Jackson. Ava Yoon and Genesis Schneeberg fill out Sidwell's roster nicely.

Florida — Montverde Academy (Montverde)
The reigning MaxPreps National Champions are looking for a repeat. The Eagles lost a ton to graduation but reloaded as first-year coach Matthew Shewmake grabbed top-ranked senior Jaloni Cambridge from Tennessee. Vivian Iwuchukwu returns from last year's squad after scoring 7.7 points per night with 5.8 boards. Add in Chloe Sotell and Lourdes Da Silva Costa and a repeat isn't out of the question.

Georgia — Hebron Christian Academy (Dacula.)
Hawaii — 'Iolani (Honolulu)
Paige Oh and Abby Tanaka graduated from the four-time champion but post Mele Sake, last year's MaxPreps Hawaii Player of the Year, returns after earning state tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. Also back is junior Callie Pieper.

Idaho — Boise
The Brave are led by recent USC commit Avery Howell, who led them to a 23-3 mark and third-place finish in the 5A bracket. The future Trojan averaged 21.2 points and 13.3 rebounds last season and is starting her senior year off on a tear. Joining her are Kaity Haan (11.4 points per game) and Avery Patricco (8.2).

Illinois — Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park)
Return all but one player from a 35-1 state championship team that's loaded with Division 1 talent in Olivia Austin (Dartmouth), Danielle Scully (Ohio), Ama Dray (Boston College), Stella Sakalas and Allia Von Schlegell.

Indiana — Noblesville
Reached the Class 4A semifinals last season, going 21-4. They return their top three scorers in Meredith Tippner, Reagan Wilson and Ava Shoemaker. All three are off to hot starts this season with each averaging better than 13 points per night.
Head coach Chad Jilek said this might be the most talent they have had, which is saying something considering they have played in the state tournament nine straight seasons, the final four six straight times and the title game four times. Sophomore Jenica Lewis has more than 40 Division I offers.

Kansas — Blue Valley North (Overland Park)
The Mustangs look to repeat as Class 6A champions behind juniors Jaliya Davis and Aubrey Shaw. Davis dropped 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest last year while Shaw went for 13.7 points and 8.7 rebounds.

Kentucky — Sacred Heart (Louisville)
The leader of this group is ZaKiyah Johnson, who has been the MaxPreps Player of the Year as a freshman and sophomore in the past two seasons. She averaged nearly 22 points per game as the Valkyries won the Kentucky title and return a substantial core of that squad, including Reagan Bender and Angelina Pelayo.

Louisiana — Lafayette Christian Academy (Lafayette)
Jada Richard is staying in-state to play at LSU but hopes to lead her team to a fourth straight state title and sixth in eight seasons. Richard enters the season with more than 2,000 career points after averaging 28.2 last season.

Maine — Oxford Hills (South Paris, Maine)
The Vikings went 20-1 last season en route to a Class AA title, beating Gorham 62-25 in the final. They lose MaxPreps Player of the Year Sierra Carson to graduation but junior Ella Pelletier has game and experience to keep the momentum going forward.

Maryland — Bishop McNamara (Forestville)
Return Madisen McDaniel for her senior year after leading the team to an unbeaten WCAC record and 21-6 mark overall. McDaniel averaged 18.6 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 steals and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Massachusetts — Bishop Feehan (Attleboro.)
After falling in the Division I final, the Shamrocks are back with junior guard Charlotte Adams-Lopez and Maddy Steel along with senior forward Julia Webster. They posted a 20-6 mark in 2022-23.

Michigan — Rockford
Grace Lyons hit a 3-pointer to cement a Division 1 title win over West Bloomfield and now the school's all-time leader from distance gets to run it back for her senior year. Alongside her are Anna Wypych and sophomore Sienna Wolfe.

Minnesota — Providence Academy (Plymouth)
Maddyn Greenway averaged 32 points per game last season to help the Lions to a 31-2 mark and Class 2A title. She is joined by senior Brooke Hohenecker (11.2 points per game) and junior Hope Counts (9.0).

Mississippi — Tupelo
Fell in the Class 6A final to a Madison Booker-led Germantown squad last season. Booker graduated and Tupelo returns Jade Rucker along with Lamarah Cleaves looking to get back to the title game.

Missouri — Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
Enter the season with a 100-game win streak. That equates to experience under pressure for players like Peyton Hill and Nevaeh Caffey, one of the country's top point guards with more than 30 Division I offers including Indiana, Michigan and Kansas.

Montana — Billings West (Billings)
The reigning Class AA champions have a new coach but return Kourtney Grossman and Sydney Pierce to lead the way.

Nebraska — Elkhorn North (Elkhorn)
The Wolves have won three straight Class B titles led by the state's best player, Britt Prince. The Nebraska commit averaged 29.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game as Elkhorn North went 25-1. In addition, McKenna Murphy added 24.2 points per night
New Hampshire — Bedford
Purdue-bound Lana McCarthy leads the Bulldogs into the season looking to avenge last season's Division 1 final loss to Bishop Guertin. The 6-5 McCarthy averaged 20 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in leading the Bulldogs to a 19-3 record.

New Jersey — Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.)
New Mexico — Hobbs
With four returning juniors who led the Eagles to a Class 5 title, the future is bright. Bhret Clay, Nakia Mojica, Hargrove and Jayla David all dropped double-digit points in the title victory over Volcano Vista and look to get back to the championship game after posting a 28-3 mark last season.

New York — Long Island Lutheran (Brookville)
The Crusaders return everyone from a 22-3 team that finished ranked No. 2 nationally. Kate Koval, Kayleigh Heckel and Syla Swords lead head coach Christina Raiti's squad into a national schedule that could result in the ultimate prize.

North Carolina — Panther Creek (Cary)
Taylor Barner (19.0 points per game), Olivia Tucker (16.8) and Kirstin Smalls (8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds) are all back from a squad that went 29-4 and beat Lake Norman in the Class 4A final.

North Dakota — Minot
Consolation champions last year in the Class A bracket, the Magicians look to climb the mountain this year behind Leelee Bell, who averaged 20.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per night. Alongside Bell is Class of 2026 standout Maggie Fricke, who also has drawn Division I interest.

Ohio — Purcell Marian (Cincinnati)
The Cavaliers have won back-to-back state titles and return MaxPreps All-American and Miss Ohio Basketball Dee Alexander, who averaged 25.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Coach Jamar Mosley also added two Division I players and expects 6-3 freshman Samaya Wilkins to be in the mix.

Oklahoma — Putnam City West (Oklahoma City)
The Patriots feature the top individual talent in the state in Caya Smith, who averaged 21 points per game last season. Sophomore Jayla Constant added 11.5 per night as all but one player from last year returns.

Oregon — Clackamas
Jazzy Davidson is back for the Cavaliers after averaging 22.5 points per night as her squad grabbed the Class 6A title over South Medford with a 26-4 mark. The MaxPreps All-American is joined by Sara Barhoum, Avery Peterson, Allie Roden and Dylan Mogel.

Pennsylvania — Cardinal O'Hara (Springfield)
Molly Rullo leads a team with a ton of young talent and high expectations after a 23-6 mark last season and Class 6A semifinal berth. Rullo averaged 16.8 points during her sophomore season and is joined by Joanie Quinn, Carly Coleman and Megan Rullo.

Rhode Island — Ponaganset (North Scituate)
Seniors Jaina Yekelchik (14.9 points per game), Ella Pierre-Louis (13.4) and Giana DeCesare (9.5) are back to lead the Chieftains, who went 17-8 a year ago and reached the Division 1 quarterfinals.

South Carolina — Camden
MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year Joyce Edwards is back for her senior season after leading the Bulldogs to a 29-2 mark and Division AAA state title. The South Carolina commit averaged 28.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.5 steals per night. Sophomore Braylin Mungo and junior Morgan Champion will be alongside her again looking for the repeat.

South Dakota — Harrisburg
All-conference selections Abby Flanagan and Jaylee Hofer lead the Tigers into 2023 after a 17-7 season in which they fell in the Class A semifinals.

Tennessee — Bradley Central (Cleveland)
Kimora Fields is back after leading the Bears to a 35-1 mark and Division I Class 4A title. She is joined by Avary Brewer, Harmonie Ware and Tatianna Stovall looking for the repeat.

Texas — DeSoto
Amari Byles, Kamora Pruitt, Amayah Garcia and Rieyan Desouze all had great summers and come in battle-tested after last season.

Utah — Lone Peak (Highland)
Lost Kailey Woolston to graduation but the cupboard isn't bare for Nancy Warner's squad. Zuri Nordstrom returns after averaging 12.8 points per game. Naia Tanuvasa and Sarah Bartholomew return for their senior season after being major contributors. Woolston's younger sister, sophomore Kennedy Woolston, is also back.

Vermont — Champlain Valley Union (Hinesburg)
Elise Berger is back after helping the Redhawks to a Division 1 title and 18-2 mark. CVU is the benchmark of success in Vermont having won five straight titles from 2012-17.

Virginia — Paul VI (Chantilly)
The Panthers won their 15th straight VISAA state title last season. Laura Williams leads the list of returnees.

Washington — Garfield (Seattle)
Oregon commit Katie Fiso is back for her senior season after leading the Bulldogs to their third straight Class 3A title. She averaged 22 points per game last season.

West Virginia — Morgantown
The quest for a four-peat starts for the Tritons after grabbing last year's Division 2 crown with a 64-49 win over Pewaukee to cap a 29-1 season. Gracie Grzesk and Trista Fayta return to lead the charge.

Wyoming — Laramie
The Plainsmen return their three leading scorers in Addie Forry (19.3 points per game), Kylin Shipman (13.5) and Bella Yates (5.4) from a squad that went 17-9.