We’re months away from the start of the NEPSAC girls basketball season, but it’s never too early to get hyped about some of the elite teams around New England.
Sure, it’s easy to spotlight the four AA semifinalists from last season — but all four return talented and intriguing squads that are worth highlighting.
Nobles has run the conference the last two years, but several teams could challenge the Bulldogs’ reign.
Here’s a way-too-early look at five teams to get excited about next season.
Nobles
Last year: 29-1 record, NEPSAC AA champion
Nobles has captured two NEPSAC titles and posted a combined 58-4 record across the last two seasons under coach Alex Gallagher. Yes, they graduated four high-impact seniors (including three Div. 1 college basketball players in Grace Oliver, Nasi Simmons, and Tahira Muhammad), but the Bulldogs remain a frontrunner until proven otherwise.
Jasmyn Cooper returns as the reigning Independent School League MVP, a do-it-all forward whose two-way impact proved pivotal for Nobles in its latest championship run. Cooper has an energetic spark beside her in forward Ashley Dinges and a microwave scoring point guard in Christina Pham.
In prior years, the Bulldogs’ unmatched depth allowed them to balance out the scoring responsibility (Oliver led them in their championship victory with only 14 points). This year, there will be more pressure on the three star seniors to seize moments for themselves. But all three are capable individual playmakers. Nobles will also need its younger reserves to take the next step; 2028 guard Aliyah Allston (Randolph, Mass.) is worth keeping an eye on.
Dexter Southfield
Last year: 22-6 record, NEPSAC AA semifinalist (lost 60-59 to Nobles)
Despite its youth, Dexter Southfield came up just a point shy of upsetting Nobles in the AA semifinals. Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year Orlagh Gormley is off to Providence, but Dexter returns its young core with some exciting new additions.
Ella Peper earned All-NEPSAC accolades last year — and now she’s a freshman. Gabby Middleton is a versatile scorer and playmaker in the 2027 class, and 2028 forward Avery Bollin should fill a larger interior role alongside 2026 forward Brooke Nunnally-Gardner.
Izzy Adams, after dazzling at Walpole, transferred and reclassified to 2026. She’ll do her best to replace Gormley and is immediately one of the better passers in NEPSAC. Kam Derba, a 2026 guard who started for Oliver Ames, also joined the program as a lights-out shooter. The upside with this squad is sky-high.
Tabor
Last year: 22-6 record, NEPSAC AA semifinalist (lost 68-53 to Tilton)
The Seawolves boast perhaps the most versatile core in NEPSAC. The stacked 2025 class was contributing when Tabor won the AA championship back in 2021-22, and those players might be ready to reclaim the throne as seniors.
It starts with Kaelyn Carroll. The 6-foot-3-inch superstar forward, ranked No. 29 in the country by ESPN, fought through an ankle sprain and a concussion last year to still post 13.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Carroll is an impossible matchup with her shooting and handle at her size.
Carroll is flanked by a pair of two-way impact wings. Olivia Rodrigues (10 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists) does a bit of everything and is racking up Division 1 offers. Vanderbilt commit Ava Black is on track to return after missing last season with an MCL injury.
Tabor boasts a dynamic playmaker in 2026 guard Molly Corcoran. Among their notable transfers to watch is 2027 guard Corinne Lomax, who was a star in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) last season at Holy Cross High in Waterbury. Health permitting, this roster sits right at the front of the AA title contenders.
Tilton
Last year: 31-3 record, NEPSAC AA final (lost 66-57 to Nobles)
Tilton graduated last season’s Class AA Player of the Year (and New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year) in Miami-bound Ahnay Adams, along with Sophia LeGoullon (William & Mary). The Rams have the pieces to accelerate their re-tooling period.
Colleen Phiri, a 2025 forward who can outmuscle opponents despite being relatively undersized at 5-11, is the top returner. Coach Tara Brisson is excited to see how Phiri handles an even larger role with the ball in her hands. Phiri averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game as a Class AA All-Star last season.
The Rams also bring back athletic utility guard Lindsey Lemay and Hannah Lynch, their top defensive player, to help ease Adams’s departure. Tish Blackwood and 6-3 post player Brooke Muller are hoping to carry over their strong finishes to the 2023-24 season. And Bela Cucuta, a transfer from Newington, Conn. who reclassified to 2026, should add another scoring punch to ease the departure of Adams.
Loomis Chaffee
Last year: 23-5, NEPSAC A champion
Loomis ended the season with 10 wins in its last 11 contests, signaling that a roster with some key new players had hit its stride. Center Alicia Mitchell (2025) is back for her second season in Connecticut as a double-double machine and defensive anchor.
Mitchell is the literal centerpiece, but coach Adrian Stewart is excited about several returning faces. He likened 2025 guard Abby Congdon, who averaged nine points and four assists per game, to Linus’s security blanket from the “Peanuts” comic. Catherine Chadwell, Aniyah Neal, and Liv Westfort are also impact 2025 players.
Then Loomis has some exciting newcomers. Neve Rugette is an accomplished 2028 guard who comes across the pond from Great Britain. Rugette joins Leah McKenzie, a 2027 transfer from Unionville, Conn., who could see meaningful minutes right away.
There will be another acclimation period, but Loomis has all the pieces to run it back to a Class A title.
Five more teams to monitor
Rivers (AA), New Hampton (AA), Worcester Academy (AA), St. George’s (B), Wilbraham & Monson (C)
