NEPSAC Class B was repeatedly considered the deepest and most competitive class in prep girls basketball this winter.
That extended to awards season, where we had some tough decisions.
Eight schools are represented in our Class B awards, the most among the top four classes. We spoke with multiple coaches in the class to get a sense of the talent hierarchy. Their thoughts, plus statistical production and performance against top competition all factored into our decisions.
Here are our picks for Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and the two All-Class B teams.
AWARD SEASON: Class AAA honors | Class AA honors | Class A honors
Player of the Year: Camdyn Nelson, St. Luke’s
Class of 2025, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Greenwich, Conn.
NCAA: Syracuse
The Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year averaged 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, propelling St. Luke's to a runner-up finish. Nelson was the only non-champion to land on our All-Tournament Team because of her remarkable three-game stretch that included 30 points against Lawrence Academy, 23 against St. George's and 15 in the loss to Rivers. Read our interview with Nelson here.
Defensive Player of the Year: Pearl Dickson, Berkshire
Class of 2027, 6-4 center
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Dickson's length and natural athleticism helped her as the premier rim-protector in Class B. She averaged 11.2 rebounds and three blocks per game as a sophomore, anchoring a Berkshire defense that gave up more than 50 points just six times in 27 games. Rivers center Chase Anderson and wing Grace O'Sullivan were also leading candidates for this award.
Coach of the Year: Kenny Small Jr., Rivers
Small was hired in mid-September, late by offseason standards, and had to quickly get a Rivers team with championship aspirations on the right track. He succeeded in leading the school to a Class B title behind a lockdown defense that held all three playoff foes to 45 points or less. Rivers went on the road to beat Berkshire in a semifinal thriller and then pulled away in the championship against St. Luke's.
HOW THEY WON IT:Â Looking back on Rivers' road to the Class B title
All-Class B First Team
Camdyn Nelson, St. Luke’s
Class of 2025, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Greenwich, Conn.
NCAA: Syracuse
Nelson is our Class B Player of the Year. Read our interview with her here.
Chloe Egan, Berkshire
Class of 2026, 5-11 guard
Hometown: Cotuit, Mass.
Egan consistently flies under the radar but was the engine in Berkshire's breakout 21-6 season, averaging 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She stepped up multiple times in big contests, including her 23 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals to beat Beaver in the quarterfinals.
Alannah Morantus, Cushing
Class of 2027, 5-10 guard
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
Though Cushing barely missed the playoffs, multiple opposing coaches talked about Morantus' ability to take over games as a three-level scorer and playmaker. She averaged 18.6 points, eight rebounds and 4.9 assists per game; highlights included a 28-point, five-assist, four-rebound performance to beat Class AA power Wilbraham & Monson.
Natalia Hall-Rosa, Rivers
Class of 2025, 6-0 guard/forward
Hometown: Randolph, Mass.
NCAA: Seton Hall
Class B's walking bucket led the champs in scoring with 16.3 points per game. Hall-Rosa added five rebounds and 2.5 assists, shooting 56 percent inside the arc with her combination of power, handle and scoring touch. She tallied a game-high 21 points in the championship victory.
Grace O’Sullivan, Rivers
Class of 2025, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Acton, Mass.
NCAA: Princeton
O'Sullivan is the other half of Rivers' dynamic duo. She was also in consideration for our Defensive Player of the Year award because of her versatility and on-ball prowess. O'Sullivan averaged 15.7 points and 6.5 rebounds, shooting 50 percent from 2-point range.
All-Class B Second Team
Gianna Nichols, St. George’s
Class of 2026, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Fiskdale, Mass.
NCAA: Le Moyne
Nichols transferred to St. George's and immediately made an impact as a floor general and tenacious perimeter defender, averaging 12 points, four rebounds and three assists per game. Her season highlights included 19 points in a Nickerson Tournament victory over Class AA Wilbraham & Monson, as well as 12 points in St. George's upset win as a No. 8 seed against top-seeded Suffield in the quarterfinals. Nichols also scored 20 points in a rivalry win against Middlesex and 20 again in the Dragons' semifinal loss to St. Luke's.
Jasmine Becotte, Lawrence Academy
Class of 2025, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Pelham, N.H.
NCAA: St. Michael's
Becotte steered Lawrence Academy to a No. 4 seed in the NEPSAC playoffs with her ability as a lead scorer and high-effort rebounder. She collected 17.7 points while shooting 43 percent from the field and added 9.8 rebounds, including 3.4 offensive boards per game. Becotte also averaged 2.3 assists and two steals.
London Powell, Greens Farms
Class of 2026, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Milford, Conn.
Powell stuck out as the leading scorer on a balanced Greens Farms roster, contributing 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals per game. Powell scored 23 points in a Dec. 11 victory over Suffield, one of her best efforts of the season.
Alannah Baehr, Suffield
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard/forward
Hometown: Colchester, Conn.
Baehr and Suffield burst into the Class B conversation this season by earning the No. 1 postseason seed. Her ball-handling and shooting at her size proved a unique challenge for opponents. Baehr posted 16.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while canning a remarkable 48 percent of her 3-point attempts.
Cheyenne Brand, Greens Farms
Class of 2026, 5-9 guard/forward
Hometown: West Haven, Conn.
NCAA: High Point
Brand did a little bit of everything for Greens Farms, helping the team overcome injuries to reach the Class B playoffs as a No. 6 seed. She averaged 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Honorable Mentions:Â Chase Anderson (Rivers), Taelor Arnold (Ethel Walker), Javonah Coston (Beaver), Pearl Dickson (Berkshire), Brianna McDermott (Greenwich Country Day), Margot Newman (Beaver), Dariia Serednytska (Mount St. Charles), Emma Sollenne (St. Luke's), Sammi Santacroce (Suffield), Summer Warren (Brooks), Olivia White (St. Luke's)
