September was a massive month for recruiting in girls basketball.
We just saw Bella Owumi, our top-ranked senior prospect, announce her commitment to Florida yesterday. Second-ranked Corinne Lomax chose Arizona at the start of the month. In between, several more players have picked their college destinations at all levels. The board of top uncommitted players has trimmed quickly, but plenty of local high school standouts are still mulling over their options.
Below is a roundup of the best players who have yet to announce a commitment. Instead of a ranked list, I've grouped these names by the college interest they've publicized so far. You'll notice I reference our 2027 Best of New England rankings frequently, but I don't always address them in that order below. We have 14 ranked players who are currently undecided, so I've also added six names outside the Top 50 list. Notably, I am not including seniors or postgrads who are new to the region. I just haven't had time to watch them and track them yet.
Here are 20 prospects you should definitely monitor as commitments keep coming in.
Notable Division 1 interest
These players will have multiple Division 1 scholarship offers to choose from and are the most highly-touted prospects left uncommitted.
Ava Bryant, Tilton
6-5 center
Hometown: Rye, N.Y.
Bryant is the clear best available college prospect in New England. She sits at No. 4 in our 2027 rankings and landed on the All-Nike EYBL Second Team following a standout grassroots season with Jersey Gemz. Bryant just took an official visit to Georgetown last weekend. She holds seven additional offers from Texas A&M, Yale, Pitt, Seton Hall, Boston College, UCF and Tulane.
Tiffany Burns, Austin Prep
5-9 guard
Hometown: Methuen, Mass.
Burns ranks No. 21 in our Best of New England list. A quick-twitch point guard and strong downhill finisher, she's choosing from Providence, Siena and Niagara out of her Div. 1 interest. Burns will lead Austin Prep as one of the top point guard prospects in Class AA this winter.
Fringe Division 1 interest, or top Div. 2 or 3 player
This group includes a few players who have received verbal offers at the low-major levels of Division 1. It also includes high-ranked remaining players in our Best of New England rankings who I could see potentially landing a late offer. If they don't end up at that level, they'll be among the best recruits at a Division 2 or 3 school.
Maliah Pierre, Dexter Southfield
5-9 wing
Hometown: Hanson, Mass.
Pierre appeared on our All-MIAA Third Team at Whitman-Hanson last winter after averaging 16.5 points, eight rebounds and three steals per game. She then transferred to Dexter Southfield and is staying in the 2027 class. Pierre, No. 27 in our class rankings, is an explosive slashing wing and stellar defender.
London Powell, Greens Farms
5-8 guard
Hometown: Milford, Conn.
Powell posted 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists en route to making our All-Class B Large Second Team last winter. She's our 28th-ranked senior and is a stingy guard defender who plays with consistent toughness. Powell received an offer from Siena back in 2024.
Sam Barton, Dexter Southfield
5-10 wing
Hometown: Reading, Mass.
Barton made a sensational return from her knee injury this spring with MCW Starz as one of my biggest stock-risers from the grassroots season. That culminated with a Division 1 offer from Stonehill at the end of July. As our 30th-ranked prospect, Barton is a versatile, sweet-shooting wing who plays fast and attacks driving lanes hard.
Kamryn Derba, Tilton
5-6 guard
Hometown: South Easton, Mass.
Derba, No. 41 in our rankings, earned an offer from Albany in early June. She's a deep-range lefty sharpshooter who excels cutting and moving without the ball. Derba will be one of the core seniors at Tilton this season.
Delaney Bonneau, Narragansett
5-11 wing
Hometown: Narragansett, R.I.
Bonneau is another prospect I've become a big fan of during the grassroots season while she competed with BCRI. She's a strong shooter who makes solid passes and driving decisions. Bonneau, who I have ranked No. 44, picked up a Division 1 offer from USC Upstate and has also drawn significant Div. 2 and 3 interest.
Strong Div. 2 or 3 player, ranked in Top 50
Seven more players below appear in our Best of New England rankings. I would speculate they're bound for high-level Division 2 and 3 programs, though there's always the possibility of a Div. 1 school finding them a good fit. These names will each be high-impact talents on the prep and high schools scenes this winter.
Skyelyn Schoen-Rene, Choate
5-11 wing
Hometown: Colchester, Conn.
Schoen-Rene sits at No. 31 in our rankings as a wing who can do a little bit of everything. She's a super tough effort rebounder and defender who cuts and finishes strong at the basket. Schoen-Rene averaged 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists at Choate last year and should help the team stay in the NEPSAC Class A play0ff mix.
Ava Perry, New Hampton
5-7 guard
Hometown: Groveland, Mass.
Perry is one of the smoothest mid-range scorers you'll find in NEPSAC, but she's also a crafty finisher and a capable corner 3-point shooter. She's received Div. 2 interest from schools like Assumption and SNHU. Our 38th-ranked prospect will help New Hampton return from its runner-up finish in NEPSAC Class AAA.
Sara Santimaw, Taft
6-2 wing
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Like Schoen-Rene, Santimaw is an underrated quality wing in Class A. She has long arms and is an impact help defender who can handle the ball and knock down a 3-pointer off the catch. Santimaw's skill at her size has her ranked No. 40 on our list, and it's helped her draw a lot of Div. 2 and 3 looks.
Casey Stores, New Hampton
5-7 guard
Hometown: Bellingham, Mass.
Stores will join Perry as classmates and reliable off-ball threats in the New Hampton backcourt. She's a dependable spot-up shooter who's deceptively quick attacking closeouts and driving in a straight line. I have Stores as our No. 43 2027 prospect.
Amaya McNeil, Hotchkiss
6-2 center
Hometown: Meriden, Conn.
For the many, many Division 2 and 3 schools seeking post players, McNeil will be a solid option. She's tall, strong and confident in her hook shoots and fundamental post moves. McNeil also puts in consistent effort on the boards as our 47th-ranked player.
Alani Rodriguez, Phillips Andover
5-5 guard
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
Rodriguez, ranked No. 48, is an impressive finisher around the basket for her size. She's confident attacking the paint and scoring through contact, and she can find hot stretches from the perimeter as well. I'm optimistic about Phillips Andover as a Class A contender this year with Rodriguez as a core leader.
Avery Littlefield, Dover
5-6 guard
Hometown: Dover, N.H.
Littlefield might be No. 49 in our prospect rankings, but she's among the absolute best shooters in New England. She's simply a ridiculous catch-and-shoot threat with range and consistency. Littlefield has a chance to lead the NHIAA in scoring as a senior.
Quality Div. 2 or 3 player outside Top 50
There's plenty of talent in this class beyond our rankings. I've highlighted some this past month in our Under the Radar series. To avoid redundancy, here are my lists of underrated 2027 guards and underrated 2027 wings and forwards. Consider the remaining uncommitted players from those lists just as worthy of these final six spots.
Instead, I'm going to mention six more players who either barely missed the cut for the Best of New England rankings or who are otherwise notable high school stars.
Cara Dean, South Hadley
5-10 forward
Hometown: South Hadley, Mass.
Dean appeared on our All-MIAA Tournament First Team and powered South Hadley to its first state championship. The Tigers may be in Division 4, but with Dean spearheading them, they could be among the better squads in the entire state. She's a floor-spacing forward and versatile defender who has grown into the confident program leader.
Jazzy Mora, Worcester Academy
5-8 guard
Hometown: Methuen, Mass.
I've already noted how Worcester Academy's roster might be underrated, and that includes Mora. She's a smooth pull-up scoring guard who's great at picking her spots in the mid-range and behind the arc.
Payton Scurry, St. George’s
6-0 forward
Hometown: Warwick, R.I.
Scurry is one of the better forward prospects still on the board, boasting intriguing potential with her length and skill at her size. She has the tools to be an impact rim-protector. Scurry can also handle the ball and drive past other forwards, and I've seen her knock down the occasional 3. She'll be a cornerstone player on a Class B Large contender this winter.
Ella Smith, Phillips Exeter
5-8 guard
Hometown: Rye, N.H.
Smith lit up NEPSAC Class C and powered Berwick to a state championship last winter, winning NEPSGBCA Class C Player of the Year and landing on our All-Tournament First Team. Now she takes a postgrad year in Class A with Phillips Exeter, who should compete for a playoff spot.
Abbey Steele, Gray-New Gloucester
5-7 guard
Hometown: Gray, Maine
Steele averaged 20.7 points in the Maine state playoffs last winter, made the Varsity Maine All-State team and returns as one of the state's top seniors. She's a dangerous 3-point shooter who constantly stays moving and plays at a high tempo.
Sophia Webb, Marianapolis
5-11 wing
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
Webb's combination of strength and ball-handling makes her one of the more unique prospects at her position. She's also shown flashes of pull-up scoring and 3-point shooting. She's drawn recent interest from schools like Daemen and Queens.
