High school national prospect rankings are a significant undertaking, but no platform carries greater weight than HoopGurlz.
The HoopGurlz rankings, engineered by a partnership between Premier Basketball and ESPN, have become the go-to for girls basketball in the last decade. Led by director Shane Laflin and national evaluator Jason Key, along with additional contributors, they give us the best snapshot of the elite talent around the country.
Today, the HoopGurlz rankings were updated for June, expanding the 2026 rankings to a Top 100 and the 2027 rankings to a Super 60. For the first time, the 2028 class also has a Top 25.
This rankings update puts the best prospects from New England into a national context, and four players appeared across the lists. You can find the 2026 HoopGurlz Top 100, along with the rest of the classes, here. Below are some New England-related takeaways.
2026 Top 100: Fope Ayo climbs and Elyse Ngenda debuts
Ayo (Methuen, Mass.) has been a fixture in the HoopGurlz updates since her breakout 2024 spring and summer. She moved further up the hierarchy this time to No. 34. Ayo has continued adding to her trove of high-major interest, securing offers from Kansas State, Michigan, SMU and Houston since April.
The 6-foot-5 center is averaging 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds for Mass Rivals on the Adidas 3SSB circuit through two sessions, shooting 57.1 percent from the field. She won our NEPSAC Class AA Defensive Player of the Year award and landed on our All-Class AA First Team this past winter, averaging 24.5 points, 19.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks at Austin Prep.
Ngenda (Bedford, N.H.) makes her first appearance on the HoopGurlz rankings, taking the last spot at No. 100. The 5-foot-9 guard was an NEBJ All-Class AAA First Team member with New Hampton last winter, posting 16.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals. Ngenda is also leading Mass Rivals in scoring (15.5 points) while averaging 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists with a 41.2 percent 3-point clip. She recently added offers from Mississippi State and Fairfield.
PROSPECT WATCH:Â Here's what makes Ngenda one of the region's top talents
2027 Super 60: Bella Owumi flies up the list
Owumi (Lynn, Mass.) had yet to join the national rankings, but after a massive school year and ensuing spring, it was only a matter of time. She's now ranked No. 32 in the 2027 class, the only New England native to make the cut. The 6-foot wing's rise to national prominence has coincided with her offers. This spring, those include: Arizona, St. John's, Clemson, Columbia, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Marquette.
Owumi earned our MIAA Defensive Player of the Year award and landed on our All-MIAA First Team behind her 17.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.1 steals per game. She led St. Mary's to the Division 3 state championship this past winter. Owumi has also shined playing up a year on the MCW Starz Select Power 24 squad and was one of the best at the Atlantic City Showcase in May.
2028 Top 25: Ella Peper makes a massive statement
Peper's reputation as the region's top college prospect now has even more national credibility. The 6-foot-4 wing from Newton, Mass., sits fourth overall in the first installment of the 2028 rankings. I'm not certain, but to my knowledge, this is the highest a New England native has slotted in the history of the HoopGurlz rankings, surpassing Caroline Ducharme finishing prep school as the fifth-ranked player in 2021.
Peper improved as a freshman at Dexter Southfield and has taken another leap on the AAU circuit, where she plays up a year on the Bay State Jaguars' 2027 Under Armour squad. She also excelled at the Atlantic City Showcase and was one of 22 finalists at the U.S. U16 national team trials in Colorado. Her recent offers: Oregon, Vanderbilt, TCU, Indiana, Baylor, Clemson, Arizona State, Georgia, Tennessee and Maryland.
