Last year's NEPSAC Class AA championship race was defined by new names.
Worcester Academy may be a longtime leader in prep basketball, but the Hilltoppers' road to their championship — led by first-year coach Dan Sullivan — was unique. Their opponent in the final: Darrow, which exploded up from the Class D ranks to prominence under another first-year coach in Abby Streeter.
Of last year's six playoff teams, four were new AA members. And though the field is mostly the same this year, many of those rising powers have established their footing and are prepared for a title run.
Here's a look at every team in Class AA. We also have three teams in our NEPSAC Top 10, which we refer to in their sections.
NEPSAC PREVIEW:Â Our first Top 10Â |Â Class AAA preseason watch list | Class AA preseason watch list
Austin Prep
Head coach: Ushearnda Stroud
Last year: 16-9, advanced to Class AA quarterfinals
Players to watch: Fope Ayo, C; Tiffany Burns, G; Ruby Thompson, G
Ayo, our NEPSAC Class A Defensive Player of the Year last season, has honed her athletic potential and become a legitimate force as New England’s top 2026 college prospect. She’s joined by an athletic playmaking guard in Burns and a certified sharpshooter in Thompson, both juniors. Austin Prep’s star trio can hang with the rest of AA, but it’ll need depth to emerge to contend in the playoffs. There’s potential for a breakthrough after earning a No. 6 seed last winter.
ON THE RISE:Â Read our Austin Prep team preview here.
Brimmer & May
Head coach: Courtney Sims
Last year: 17-2, won Class D championship
Players to watch: Jaliah Duplessy, G; Elliana Barros, G; Corey Sims, G/F
How young are last year’s Class D champions? Of those top three players mentioned, Duplessy is a freshman and the latter two are eighth-graders. Most of the rest of the roster is also super young, and the expectation is this will be a major learning year for the Gators as they leap up to AA. But multiple coaches believe that in coming years, this roster will grow to be dangerous.
Head coach:Â Abby Streeter
Last year:Â 19-10, advanced to Class AA championship game
Players to watch:Â Jill Dingler, G; Daniella Harcourt, C; Taelor Arnold, G
MacDuffie
Head coach: Kahari Beaufort
Last year: missed Class AA playoffs
Players to watch: Lauren Cross, G; Autumn Udoh, F
Beaufort, the coach of iBelieve Elite’s top AAU team, has come in to help revitalize a struggling MacDuffie program. Udoh represents one of his best players at iBelieve; the 6-footer has multiple Division 1 offers and transfers into NEPSAC from Bristol Eastern in Connecticut. Cross was named a NEPSGBCA Honorable Mention last winter and headlines the returners.
Marianapolis
Head coach: Wes Howard
Last year: 9-14, missed Class AA playoffs
Players to watch: Maeve Early, G; Baileigh Kimball, G; Sophia Webb, G/F
Bella Miele’s season-cancelling ACL tear is an extremely unfortunate blow to Marianapolis’ guard rotation. But this is still a fun AA sleeper with a ton of depth and versatility. Early, Kimball and Webb are all juniors who impact the game beyond scoring. Howard mentioned that the roster as a whole, with a year of growing together, feels far ahead of where they were preseason compared to last year. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Marianapolis steal a game (or multiple) from some more top in-class foes.
Head coach:Â Grace Rehnquist
Last year:Â 21-7, advanced to Class AA semifinals
Players to watch:Â Olivia Fleming, G; Zariah Ottley, G; Molly Sisson, C
See NEPSAC Top 10, or read our Northfield Mount Hermon team preview
Head coach:Â Durelle Brown
Last year:Â 21-10, advanced to Class AA semifinals
Players to watch:Â Selah Prignano, G; Caterina Ravosa, F; Avery Vanderburg, G/F
See NEPSAC Top 10, or read our Titans team preview.
Winchendon
Head coach: Niya Johnson
Last season: missed Class AA playoffs
Players to watch: Jasmine Nagle, G; Yara Soufan, G
Winchendon will look even younger this season after losing Saige DeJesus, who transferred to New Hampton, along with graduated seniors. Nagle and Tiffany Patricio account for two standout sophomores, while freshmen Soufan and Ella Neufeld are also worth following. We’ll see if Winchendon can build some momentum as a program with this young core.
Worcester Academy
Head coach: Dan Sullivan
Last year: 22-10, won Class AA championship
Players to watch: Gracyn Barnes, G; Ella Getz, F; Jazzy Mora, G
The defending Class AA champs graduated their engine in our Player of the Year, Elyse MacDonough (now at St. Bonaventure). But this is still a roster built to outhustle and outrun opponents, and coaches have quickly given Sullivan a ton of respect in his second season. Getz is the top returning player and should be healed from an offseason labrum injury. Watch for Barnes and Mora as rising backcourt stars.
