Every player on the list except the four still in college have gone on to WNBA success. The quartet playing collegiately look to be locks to play in the W eventually.
Selections were based primarily off high school resumes. Only players
who graduated in 2001 or after were considered for inclusion. Read on
for the top 25 high school football players of the 21st century (so
far).
1. Candace Parker, Naperville Central (Naperville, Ill.)Class: 2004
Resume: Two
state titles, two NCAA titles at Tennessee and three WNBA crowns are
proof that all she did was win. Parker scored 2,786 career points at
Naperville Central, winning two national player of the year awards
before repeating the feat in college. She followed that with Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, putting her on a short list of all-time greats
to conquer all three levels.
Class: 2008
Resume: Led the Raiders to three state titles and averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds in her senior season. The dominating 6-foot-4 Delle Donne finished with 2,818 career points. She also helped Ursuline to two volleyball state titles before playing one year of volleyball at Delaware, then transitioning back to hoops and a stellar college and pro career in which she won two WNBA MVP awards.
Class: 2007
Resume: A four-year starter, she was 125-3 in her prep career with three state titles. The 2007 MaxPreps National Player of the Year finished her prep career 2,664 points before heading to UConn and running off a 90-game win streak. She has a career record of 497-78 plus two NCAA titles and four more in the WNBA.
4. Brittney Griner, Nimitz (Houston, Texas)Class: 2009
Resume: A
viral sensation for her dunking ability, Griner was also a fierce
defender and rim protector with a national record 318 blocks as a senior. She
helped Nimitz to the state final as a senior before heading to Baylor. The 6-foot-8 center was taken No. 1 in the WNBA Draft by Phoenix and has gone on to be a 10-time All-Star and league champion in 2014.
Class: 2014
Resume: Widely regarded as the best player in the WNBA, she averaged 24.7 points per game with a state title and MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors to end her prep career. She won a NCAA title at South Carolina in 2017, two Olympic golds and a pair of WNBA crowns along with three MVP awards.
Class: 2023
Resume: One of the first females to shine in the NIL era, Juju's game exceeds the hype. The two-time MaxPreps National Player of the Year led Sierra Canyon to a state title as a junior. A dominant freshman campaign at USC led to a better season — and POY honors — as a sophomore before an ACL injury ended her season in the NCAA tournament.
7. Tina Charles, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)Class: 2006
Resume: Part of one of the greatest high school teams of all time, Charles played on a Royals squad that won 57 straight, including a undefeated 2006 season in which they were ranked No. 1 by USA Today. She added two UConn titles before being selected No. 1 in the 2010 WNBA Draft. She is the second all-time leading scorer in league history with 7,961 points.
Class: 2002
Resume: Sports
Illustrated asked "Is She the Next Michael Jordan?" in 1999 as Augustus
scored 3,600 career points with more than 1,700 rebounds and two state
titles. Named to multiple All-American teams, she was the national
player of the year in 2002 before heading to LSU and compiling a 114-17
record. She is the Minnesota Lynx's all-time leading scorer and has won
three Olympic golds and four WNBA titles.
9. Breanna Stewart, Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.)Class: 2012
Resume: A
2,000-point scorer in high school, she averaged 26.4 points and 14.2
rebounds in her senior season while earning every major national honor,
including MaxPreps National Player of the Year. A three-time Player of
the Year in college with four NCAA titles, she is a multi-time MVP as a
pro and a lock for the Hall of Fame when her playing days are over.
10. Paige Bueckers, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)Class: 2020
Resume: The
MaxPreps National Player of the Year didn't get to cap her senior
season with a second straight state title but did end her Hopkins career
on a 62-game heater. She averaged 21.4 points in her final season as
the Royals finished No. 4 in the nation. This year's No. 1 pick in the
WNBA Draft, she bounced back from injury to lead UConn to a national
title as a senior.
11. Joyce Edwards, Camden (S.C.)Class: 2024
Resume: One of
three to earn MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year honors twice,
Edwards led the Bulldogs to state titles as a junior and senior.
She averaged 24.5 points per game for her career and finished with
3,966 points before moving on to South Carolina and making an impact as a
freshman for the NCAA runner-up. She also was an all-state performer in volleyball and soccer.
2008
Resume: The older of the Ogwumikes, she was the first to win MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors after leading Cy-Fair to a state title as a senior. She led Stanford to four Final Four berths and helped the Sparks win the WNBA title in 2016 with MVP honors to boot.
Class: 2010
Resume: Won two titles at Cy-Fair, one as a sophomore with sister Nneka and then another as a senior. Also playing at Stanford, she left as the Pac-12's all-time leading scorer and played nine years in the WNBA before transitioning to a successful broadcasting career.
Class: 2016
Resume: A four-year starter, she helped the Matadors to the Open Division
title game as a senior. Averaged 25.3 points, 8.8 assists and 7.6
rebounds in her senior campaign, leaving Miramonte with 2,606 points. She dropped a triple-double in the state title game and then went on to become a three-time Pac-12 Player of the Year at Oregon. She is a four-time All-Star and helped the Liberty to the 2024 WNBA championship.
Class: 2009
Resume: The third-leading scorer in state history, Diggins was 102-7 as a prep with a state title and MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors. She stayed close to home and became Notre Dame's all-time leading scorer before being drafted No. 3 in the WNBA Draft to the Shock. She is a seven-time WNBA
All-Star.
Class: 2020
Resume: The "Caitlin Effect" was certainly greater in college and now in the WNBA, but there is little doubt she was a star at Dowling Catholic. She was a first-team MaxPreps All-American after pouring in 33.4 points per game as a senior. She finished with 2,547 points, good for fourth-most in state history.
Class: 2013
Resume: The daughter and sister of Major Leaguers Delino Sr. and Jr., Diamond shined on her own at Norcross. She was a three-time state champion and MaxPreps National Player of the Year as a senior. A truncated college career led to an overseas journey before coming back to the states to play in the WNBA, winning a title in 2021.
Class: 2011
Resume: Holds the school record for points at 2,744 and led Mater Dei to two state titles. The 2011 Monarchs were called one of the top 20 teams in the MaxPreps era as Mosqueda-Lewis led them to a 35-1 mark while averaging just over 22 per night. Won three titles at UConn, a WNBA title in 2018 and is currently playing in Australia.
2013
Resume: The McDonald's All American scored 2,247 points for the Torreys, leading the program to a 103-22 record, four section titles and a Division IV state championship. Her No. 10 is retired at the University of Washington and she has gone on to win a pair of WNBA titles and earned four All-Star nods.
Class: 2022
Resume: Put up 15.8 points and 7.0 assists as a senior in leading the Quakers to an unbeaten season and No. 1 national ranking. She earned McDonald's MVP honors band has three golds playing for USA Basketball. Now at UCLA, Rice garnered All-Pac-12 as a freshman and All-Big Ten as a sophomore. Thanks in part to her soccer prowess, she was named MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year in 2021-22.
21. Alissa Pili, Dimond (Anchorage, Alaska)Class: 2019
Resume: A
two-time MaxPreps National Female Athlete of the Year (along with
Edwards and swimmer Missy Franklin), Pili won 13 state titles in Alaska,
including two on the hardwood. She added four in volleyball, four in
shot put, two in discus and one in wrestling. She's the state's all-time
leading basketball scorer and currently playing for the Minnesota Lynx
in the WNBA.
Class: 2004
Resume: Three state titles — two at Edison (Miami) — before averaging 20.6 points and guiding the Raiders to a title as a senior. She was a McDonald's All American and WCBA All-American before ending her LSU career as the SEC's all-time leading scorer. She is a two-time WNBA champion and eight-time All-Star.
Class: 2015
Resume: Collier is the lone player with her jersey retired at Incarnate Word Academy, a program that owns the longest win streak in high school girls basketball history and 15 state titles. She led the Red Knights to three of those championships, finished with 2,749 career points and more than 1,300 rebounds before heading to UConn and winning a title in 2016. A five-time WNBA All-Star, Collier also started Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league in 2025.
Class: 2001
Resume: One of the WNBA's OGs, Pondexter led Marshall to a state title, three Chicago Public League titles and a 116-8 record She was twice named Illinois Miss Basketball. Additionally, she won four golds with USA Basketball before heading to Rutgers and earning POY honors. A pioneer of the WNBA, she was a two-time champion, seven-time All-Star and Finals MVP in 2007.
Class: 2025
Resume: The sharpshooter carried the Plainsmen to their first title in four decades while finishing 14th on the national career scoring list. A viral star headed to Oklahoma, Chavez drew crowds wherever she played and often spent hours signing autographs after games. She averaged nearly 35 points per game as Monterey went 37-5. She ended with 4,796 points.
