We are just a few short weeks away from another magical college basketball winter.
The Associated Press just dropped their women's Top 25, with defending national champion UConn starting on top. That's just the tip of the iceberg for New England's potential influence on the upcoming season. This region is churning out Division 1 talent that you can watch throughout the East Coast and much of the country.
If you're looking for locals to follow, we've got you covered. These players are a mix of established college stars and highly-touted former high school and prep names primed for breakout seasons. The only qualifier: no freshmen here, because we've already highlighted them.
Here are 18 of the best in Division 1 women's basketball with ties to New England.
Ahnay Adams, Miami
Sophomore, 5-6 guard
Tilton/New Bedford, Mass.
Adams was the highest-ranked member of New England's 2024 high school class, and the explosive guard immediately earned a bench role on a deep Hurricanes team that went 14-15. Adams put up 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, one steal and one assist in 17.8 minutes per game. But she's in line for a significant role upgrade as a sophomore with Miami having lost its top six scorers from last season. It might be a challenging year for Miami, but expect Adams to break out in a major way.
Carys Baker, Virginia Tech
Junior, 6-2 forward
Loomis Chaffee/West Hartford, Conn.
The daughter of four-time NBA All-Star Vin Baker took a massive leap forward, leading the Hokies in minutes (34.1) while ranking second on the team in points (12.6) and rebounds (6.3). Baker drilled an impressive 41.8 percent of her 3-point attempts and scored a season-high 24 points on Feb. 27 against Boston College. She should be even m0re comfortable in Megan Duffy's second year as head coach. I'd also watch out for redshirt sophomore Mackenzie Nelson (Greenwich, Conn.), who averaged 6.0 points last year and may have a breakout in store.
Caroline Ducharme, UConn
Redshirt senior, 6-2 guard/forward
Nobles/Milton, Mass.
Finally, multiple years of frustrating head and neck injuries appear to be in Ducharme's rear-view mirror. The former top-five national high school prospect made very limited on-court appearances for the national champions late last season, and she'll still need to get comfortable playing major minutes again. But it wasn't long ago that she was a critical rotation piece at UConn as a sophomore. Ducharme has played in 12 games (81 total minutes) across the last two seasons, so her return to prominence is worth following.
Anna Foley, Quinnipiac
Junior, 6-3 center
Andover/Andover, Mass.
Foley has started every game of her college career and helped the Bobcats reach last winter's MAAC championship game. She is a special passer for her position and was second on the team at 3.5 assists per game last season. Foley also averaged 10.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and a block per game.
Mary Gibbons, Navy
Sophomore, 5-7 guard
Wachusett/Holden, Mass.
It's hard to break into a rotation on any team as a freshman, let alone on one of the country's largest rosters in Navy. But Gibbons made an impact from her first game, averaging 7.2 points and canning 46 of 129 3-point attempts (35.7 percent). She experienced significant peaks and valleys in her role off the bench, but the highs, like a 23-point outburst Feb. 26 against American, were promising. Gibbons should be more comfortable and consistent as a sophomore, making a leap plausible.
Aoibhe Gormley, Boston University
Junior, 5-8 guard
Thayer/Quincy, Mass.
Gormley ascended to a leading role at BU last season, starting 27 of 29 contests. She's not a go-to scorer (5.6 points per game) but instead earns trust with her contributions just about everywhere else. Gormley led the Terriers in assists (3.2) and steals (1.7) while finishing third on the team in rebounding average (3.8). BU might be a sneaky Patriot League contender next season with Gormley running the show.
While we're here, also make sure to follow Gormley's younger sister Orlagh at Providence. After missing much of her freshman year due to injury, the former Dexter Southfield and North Quincy star should be ticketed for an impact role as a sophomore.
Taina Mair, Duke
Senior, 5-9 guard
Brooks/Boston, Mass.
One of New England's true college superstars has helped lead Duke on separate Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight runs. Though Mair's scoring average dipped to 6.7 points per game last season, she still started every contest and was more efficient and impactful. She averaged 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game while hitting 37.8 percent of her 3-point looks. The Blue Devils open the year ranked No. 7Â and have 13 nationally-televised games on tap, so you'll get plenty of chances to watch Mair ball out.
Cecilia Kay, St. Joseph's
Sophomore, 6-2 center
Bishop Fenwick/Melrose, Mass.
Kay started every game of her freshman season at American and landed on the Patriot League All-Rookie team. Her 11.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game represented some sparse bright spots in a disastrous 1-29 season for the Eagles. Now at St. Joseph's, she'll be part of a squad that also turned over much of its roster but should be more competitive in the Atlantic 10.
Caroline Lau, Northwestern
Senior, 5-9 guard
St. Luke's/Westport, Conn.
Lau's 6.0 assists per game ranked 10th in the nation last season and included four double-digit assist games. She also contributed tremendously on the boards for her size (4.7 rebounds per game) as part of her 25 starts in 27 appearances. Lau took a step back as a scorer and will try to get back to the solid efficiency rates she posted as a sophomore. She and Northwestern will get some marquee matchups in what has become a massive Big Ten conference. Claire Keswick (Wrentham, Mass.) joins Lau as a New England native on the Wildcats.
Mia Mancini, Bryant
Junior, 5-6 guard
New Hampton/Mansfield, Mass.
Mancini has started 55 of 61 career games through two years at Bryant and averaged double-digit points in both seasons. Thought she regressed as a scorer and perimeter shooter last season (10.9 points, 30.1 3-point percentage), Mancini still lit up the arc with 49 made 3s. She also averaged 3.2 assists and a steal per game, both career highs. Bryant has two more New England natives on the squad in Maranda Nyborg (Bethel, Conn.) and Izzy Adams (Walpole).
Lana McCarthy, Purdue
Sophomore, 6-4 center
Bedford/Bedford, N.H.
McCarthy dove right into an impact role in the Big Ten as a freshman. She started 26 of 29 contests, averaging 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 47 percent from the floor as a paint presence. Her highlights included eight games in double figures and, notably, a strong close to the season with 11 points against Penn State and 15 points against Indiana. Purdue and McCarthy will play Lau and Northwestern to close the regular season March 1.
Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland
Junior, 5-10 guard
Worcester Academy/Peabody, Mass.
The most significant transfer from our region was Okananwa, who departed Duke for Maryland after helping the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight. She'll be an immediate weapon with the Terrapins because of her high motor hat manifests in rebounds (5.3 per game last year) and steals (1.8). Okananwa has also grown as a tough inside scorer (10.1 points last season) and was named ACC Tournament MVP last winter. She's one of three New England basketball players who transferred to Maryland along with men's players Andre Mills and George Turkson.
Megan Olbrys, UMass
Senior, 6-1 forward
Norwood/Norwood, Mass.
After playing sparse minutes in two seasons at Villanova, Olbrys transferred to UMass and broke out. She led the Minutemen in scoring (14.0 points) and rebounding (8.2), shot 52.7 percent from the field, and even got involved as a passer (3.2 assists) and defensive pest (31 steals, 20 blocks). It was a much-needed resurgence for Olbrys and UMass, which finished 17-15 in the second year under coach Mike Leflar after going 5-27 the season prior.
If you're looking for a team to watch packed with local ties, UMass is the squad. Also in maroon: Lilly Ferguson (Newington, Conn.), Ayanna Franks (Windsor, Conn.), Chineye Odenigbo (Walpole, Mass.), Allie Palmeiri (Trumbull, Conn.), Brooke Pulpi (Reading, Mass.) and Jess Ross (Eastham, Mass.).
Brooke Paquette, Stonehill
Junior, 5-8 guard
Bishop Guertin/Hudson, N.H.
The Skyhawks were quietly competitive in the NEC last winter (17-16 overall, 11-5 in conference) with Paquette a major contributor. She started all 33 games, averaged 13.2 points and tossed in a season-high 26 points against Mercyhurst on Jan. 2. Paquette also dished out 4.4 assists, grabbed 3.9 rebounds and swiped 1.6 steals per game. The Skyhawks are another local-heavy squad with eight total New Englanders on the roster.
Yirsy Queliz, Northeastern
Junior, 5-4 guard
St. Mary's/La Vega, Dominican Republic
Amidst a brutal 3-25 season for the Huskies, Queliz broke out as a starting point guard to build around. She started 25 of 26 games played and set new career per-game marks in points (11.7), rebounds (3.9), assists (3.4) and 3s made (47, 30.3 percent). The former three-time MIAA state champion at St. Mary's is joined by a two-time state champ in Camryn Collins (Foxboro, Mass.), who made an impact as a freshman at Rider. Freshman Lindsey Lemay (Barrington, R.I.) was part of Tilton's NEPSAC Class AAA championship team last winter.
Thalia Shepard, Towson
Junior, 5-9 guard
St. Andrew's/Boston, Mass.
Shepard transferred to Towson after taking major steps forward as a sophomore at Merrimack. Her 13.6 points per game were a team-high and included some monster outings, like 27 points March 13 against Siena. Shepard also chipped in 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. She'll now help Towson look to ascend in the CAA.
Rachel Ullstrom, Richmond
Senior, 6-1 guard
Marianapolis/Auburn, Mass.
Definitely make time to watch Richmond, which has rapidly become one of the best mid-major programs in the country. The Spiders open the season in the AP Top 25 and have Ullstrom among the returners. She helped lead the team to its first NCAA Tournament victory last March over Georgia Tech. Ullstrom averaged 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals and drained a blistering 42.3 percent of her 3-point looks. Her 82 total made 3s tied for 28th in the nation. Sam Dewey (Melrose, Mass.) and Payton Richard (Bolton, Mass.) join Ullstrom as New England natives on the Spiders.
Sophia Vital, Rhode Island
Junior, 5-3 guard
Tabor/Cambridge, Mass.
New England's most popular small guard broke into the Rams' starting lineup early last season. Vital averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals as a sophomore, with highlights including 20 points on Feb. 5 against Duquesne. She's actually the only New England native on the Rams this season but has the chance to make noise as the starting point guard.
Ten more names to follow:Â Lauren Beach (Fairfield/Medway, Mass.), Shay Bollin (Wisconsin/Raynham, Mass.), Kendall Eddy (Holy Cross/Haverhill, Mass.), Catherine Gilwee (Vermont/Shelburne, Vt.), Jayda Johnson (Dayton/West Haven, Conn.), Nina Minicozzi (Dartmouth/Belmont, Mass.), Madison Roman (Merrimack/Fairfield, Conn.), Grace Oliver (Wake Forest/Norwell, Mass.), Nasi Simmons (Columbia/Brockton, Mass.), Abigail Wright (Harvard/Newton, Mass.)
