SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — It's pretty rare to see Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley in the same building, especially in Massachusetts. But that underscores how much of a marquee event the Hoophall Classic has become on the girls side.
The annual MLK weekend showcase has long been a top draw for its boys prospects, with future stars from Jayson Tatum to Cade Cunningham to Cooper Flagg competing in Blake Arena at Springfield College. But the Hoophall Classic also used to bring girls teams as well. Then it stopped, but has slowly brought back more and more of the top girls programs around the country. Fans still vividly recall JuJu Watkins, who provided one of the most dominant Hoophall performances I've ever seen when she suited up for Sierra Canyon in 2023.
Friday was solely for the girls. UConn, South Carolina and dozens of elite college programs used it as a premier scouting event. We saw fireworks, including Bishop McNamara (ranked second nationally) making a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to take down top-ranked Ontario Christian in the nightcap. This was my fifth time covering the Hoophall Classic in some capacity, and this year, I came exclusively to cover the girls teams.
I can all-but guarantee that multiple future college superstars and WNBA prospects took the court Friday. A whopping 27 nationally-ranked players were on rosters spanning just five games. We're often in our own New England bubble, but these teams are just on another level — though there was one notable local matchup I'll also highlight. Here are 17 names you should know from this year's Hoophall Classic, listed alphabetically.
