A thrilling season of prep girls basketball came down to the literal final second.
Tilton's dramatic victory over Nobles in the Class AAA championship highlighted an action-packed winter for the new top class in NEPSAC. Nearly any team could win on any given day with so much talent across the board.
We're unveiling our first-ever postseason awards for NEPSAC girls basketball, including a Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and two All-Class teams for classes AAA through B. With AAA in particular, many of these teams are so stacked that surefire college-bound stars don't even make the cut. Our decisions result from numerous conversations with coaches, available stats and our observations.
Take a look at our individual award winners and All-Class AAA team.
AWARD SEASON:Â Class AA honors | Class A honors | Class B honors
Player of the Year: Jasmyn Cooper, Nobles
Class of 2025, 6-1 forward
Hometown: North Easton, Mass.
NCAA: Syracuse
Cooper is not the loudest or flashiest player in NEPSAC, but her versatility and impact are widely respected both at Nobles and around the region. The No. 60 ranked player in ESPN's national 2025 class averaged 16.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists while frequently defending the opposition's top scorer at any position. Read our Player of the Year interview with Cooper here.
This Player of the Year conversation had three prime candidates. Cooper's teammate, Christina Pham, was also in the running as Nobles' leading scorer. Colleen Phiri led Tilton to the Class AAA crown with her offensive punch. Pham and Phiri landed on our All-Class AAA First Team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Serenity Lancaster, New Hampton
Class of 2026, 6-1 forward
Hometown: New London, Conn.
One opposing NEPSAC coach said Lancaster struck fear into teams like few other defenders. The dynamic big averaged three blocks per game in addition to her 15 points and eight rebounds. In her first year of NEPSAC play as a transfer from New London, Lancaster immediately took on some of the toughest opposing frontcourt matchups and succeeded.
Also in the DPOY discussion was Brynn Bryant, Nobles' quick, pesky point guard. Tabor's Olivia Rodrigues drew props for her versatility, as did Hannah Lynch on Tilton.
Coach of the Year: Tara Brisson, Tilton
The Rams outworked some more highly-touted Class AAA foes to go 30-4, win the class championship and then capture the national prep championship two days later. Brisson, motivated by the school's perceived dark-horse status, was the architect of an elite defense with the balanced scoring to go all the way. This was Tilton's first championship as a member of NEPSAC's top class, and they beat both Nobles and Tabor in the playoffs to get it done.
TILTON'S TIME:Â How the Rams outshined the stars of NEPSAC to win the Class AAA title
All-Class AAA First Team
Christina Pham, Nobles
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
Hometown: South Boston, Mass.
NCAA: Fairfield
Pham led the Bulldogs with 18.4 points per game and cemented herself as the no-doubt best shooter in New England, drilling a ridiculous 45 percent of her threes. Nobles won multiple games on the back of Pham catching fire inside and outside the arc. She also averaged 6.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds. The Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year ends her six-year career at Nobles with more than 1,700 points and two Class AA championships.
GATORADE WINNERS:Â Here are the six honorees from New England states
Elyse Ngenda, New Hampton
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
Ngenda won New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year honors with a stellar junior year. She averaged 15.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals while hitting an eye-popping 55 percent of her 3-pointers. Ngenda's poise under pressure consistently shone through, highlighted by her buzzer-beater against Dexter Southfield and her 26-point, 13-rebound performance to lift the Huskies into the semifinals over Hoosac.
PROSPECT WATCH:Â Why Ngenda is among the best in the 2026 class
Colleen Phiri, Tilton
Class of 2025, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
NCAA: George Washington
Phiri was the calm, steady heartbeat of Tilton's championship season. Despite flying under the radar against more heralded talents, she put up 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Those stats came with remarkable efficiency: 52 percent on 2-pointers, 42 percent on 3s and less than one turnover per game. She recently changed her college commitment from Colgate to George Washington.
Kaelyn Carroll, Tabor
Class of 2025, 6-3 guard/forward
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
NCAA: Kentucky
Carroll posted 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in her final season at Tabor. She ends high school as one of New England's top college prospects in recent memory. Carroll is ranked 18th in ESPN's national 2025 class — the highest of any New England native since Caroline Ducharme in 2021 — and earned McDonald's All-American status, the first local girl to do so since Ducharme.
Note: We initially received incorrect per-game statistics submitted for Carroll — these have been corrected and updated.
Jasmyn Cooper, Nobles
Class of 2025, 6-1 forward
Hometown: North Easton, Mass.
NCAA: Syracuse
Cooper is our Class AAA Player of the Year. You can read our interview with her here.
All-Class AAA Second Team
Bela Cucuta, Tilton
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Newington, Conn.
In mid-December, Cucuta started to find her footing as an impact transfer guard with a 30-point game in a loss to Tabor. From there, she grew into one of Tilton's core contributors, scored a team-high 22 points in the Class AAA final and won national prep championship MVP. By winter's end, Cucuta led the Rams at 18.1 points per game to go with 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. She made 56.2 percent of her 2s and 38 percent of her 3s.
Anna Moser, Hoosac
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Rutland, Vt.
Moser burst onto the scene as a transfer and helped power Hoosac to one of its best seasons in team history. The lightning-quick guard used her scoring prowess on and off the ball to post a team-high 16 points per game along with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Moser canned 40 percent of her 3-pointers.
Ava Black, Tabor
Class of 2025, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Auburn, N.H.
NCAA: Vanderbilt
After missing an entire season with a PCL injury, Black returned to average 15.9 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals per game. Her relentless scoring confidence and defensive impact on the wing helped the Seawolves go 25-4 and make the Class AAA semifinals.
Ashley Dinges, Nobles
Class of 2025, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
NCAA: Providence
Though Dinges is on the second team, anyone at Nobles will tell you she was just as vital to the Bulldogs' success this year and in recent seasons. She averaged 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, dominating as a rebounder, secondary scorer and frontcourt defender.
Serenity Lancaster, New Hampton
Class of 2026, 6-1 forward
Hometown: New London, Conn.
Beyond her Defensive Player of the Year recognition, Lancaster averaged 15 points and eight rebounds as one of New Hampton's leading offensive contributors. Her decisiveness in the post, ability to push the ball in the open floor and occasional 3-pointer all helped the Huskies' offense en route to the semifinals.
Honorable mentions:Â Maysen Hill (St. Andrew's), Hannah Lynch (Tilton), Ella Peper (Dexter Southfield), Olivia Rodrigues (Tabor), Carolina Williams (Hoosac)
