High school girls basketball: Top 10 toughest state tournament brackets in 2025-26

It should be noted that while not a state tournament bracket the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference bracket is a juggernaut of a tournament. The conference is headlined by No. 1 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), No. 25 St. John's (Washington, D.C.) and Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, Va.). 

Read on for a full rundown of the top 10 state tournaments in high school basketball below. 1. California Open Division 
2024-25 champion: Etiwanda
Contenders: No. 2 Ontario Christian (Ontario), No. 3 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), No. 4 Etiwanda, No. 5 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth), No. 17 Sage Hill (Newport Beach), No. 23 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Clovis, Clovis West (Fresno), St. Mary's (Stockton), San Ramon Valley (Danville) 
Rundown: With six teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25, surviving and winning the Open Division title is a feat. Etiwanda has done it three straight seasons. Archbishop Mitty has reached the final in four straight years, but is still looking to cash in a title. 

2. New Jersey Non-Public A 
2024-25 champion: Morris Catholic (Denville)
Contenders: No. 9 St. John-Vianney (Holmdel), No. 12 Red Bank Catholic (Red Bank), Paul VI (Haddonfield), St. Thomas Aquinas (Edison), Morris Catholic (Denville), Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township), DePaul Catholic (Wayne), Pope John XXIII (Sparta) 
Rundown: Red Bank Catholic and St. John-Vianney have been mainstays in the rankings all season. Morris Catholic is the reigning MaxPreps National Champion and Paul VI is 17-1. And if you survive the Non-Public A bracket, you get the Non-Public B winner in a field that includes Rutgers Prep (Somerset), Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone) and Gloucester Catholic (Gloucester City). 

3. Illinois 4A  
2024-25 champion: Kenwood (Chicago)
Contenders: Benet Academy (Lisle), Naperville Central (Naperville), Waubonsie Valley (Aurora), Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park), Loyola Academy (Wilmette), Kenwood (Chicago), Mother McAuley (Chicago), Marist (Chicago), Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor) 
Rundown: While none of the teams reside in the MaxPreps Top 25, this field is loaded and deep. Getting out of sectional play is impressive and then it gets more difficult. Whoever is standing at the end makes a legitimate case for being ranked.

4. Texas Conference 6A Division 2 
2024-25 champion: Boswell (Fort Worth)
Contenders: No. 13 Westlake (Austin), Braswell (Little Elm), Frenship (Wolfforth), Southlake Carroll (Southlake), Shadow Creek (Pearland), Sotomayor (San Antonio), DeSoto, Tomball, Boswell (Fort Worth), Byron Nelson (Trophy Club)
Rundown: The depth of the field means every night is a championship-style fight. Boswell found that out when Byron Nelson took them out in the bi-district round. Westlake is ranked No. 17 and unbeaten. But everyone chasing them hopes to end those title dreams.

5. Texas Conference 6A Division 1
2024-25 champion: Summer Creek (Houston)
Contenders: North Crowley (Fort Worth), Allen, South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie), Duncanville, Brennan (San Antonio), Summer Creek (Houston), Plano East (Plano), Flower Mound, Dawson (Pearland), Cypress Creek (Houston), Seven Lakes (Katy), Warren (San Antonio)
Rundown: Duncanville owns 11 titles, Summer Creek is looking to defend its crown and Dawson is 33-3. So cutthroat is the 6A D1 field that Plano East was handed an early exit by Flower Mound in the bi-district round.

6. Indiana Class 4A 
2024-25 champion: Lawrence North (Indianapolis) 
Contenders: Lawrence Central (Indianapolis), Center Grove (Greenwood), Evansville Reitz (Evansville), Floyd Central (Floyds Knobs), Northridge (Middlebury), McCutcheon (Lafayette), Crown Point, Norwell (Ossian) 
Rundown: Getting out of regional play is a task unto itself. Ask Pike, which has been unbeaten before losing to Lawrence Central in the Greenfield regional championship. Once you've made it to the final eight, advancing out of semi-state with two games in one day proves you belong among the state's elite.

7.  Minnesota Class AAAA
2024-25 champion: Hopkins (Minnetonka)
Contenders: No. 24 Wayzata (Plymouth), Hopkins (Minnetonka), Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Mayo (Rochester), Rosemount, East Ridge (Woodbury)
Rundown: Wayzata worked its way into the MaxPreps Top 25 by beating Hopkins and Minnetonka back-to-back. It's safe to say the Royals and Skippers would love some payback. Maple Grove is no easy out, as is the rest of the field.

8. Arizona Open Division
2024-25 champion: Millennium (Goodyear) 
Contenders: Millennium (Goodyearr), Perry (Gilbert), O'Connor (Phoenix), Salpointe Catholic (Tucson), Campo Verde (Gilbert), Hamilton (Chandler), Gilbert 
Rundown: Millennium has been the best in the state to this point. But you can bet that Perry, O'Connor and the other mentioned above would love nothing more than to spoil the Tigers' repeat chances before moving on to grab that ring themselves. 

9. Missouri Class 6  
2024-25 champion: Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) 
Contenders: No. 7 Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis), Staley (Kansas City), Lee's Summit West (Lee's Summit), Lutheran (Kansas City), Kickapoo (Springfield), Jackson, Park Hill South (Riverside) 
Rundown: Incarnate Word Academy is going for its ninth straight state title. But Staley has shown up on the big stage this season, Lee's Summit West is 17-2, Kickapoo has been to the final recently and Park Hill South has one of the game's biggest stars in Addison Bjorn.

10. Texas Conference 5A Division 1
2024-25 champion: Ryan (Denton)
Contenders: No. 16 Wagner (San Antonio), Ryan (Denton), Tascosa (Amarillo), Aledo, Walnut Grove (Prosper), Texas (Texarkana) 
Rundown: Penciling in a championship rematch between Wagner and Ryan is a safe play. Ryan is the reigning champion, but the Thunderbirds are 36-0 and on a magical run this season. Tascocsa is 30-3 and dropped 100 in its bi-district matchup Tuesday.