The top players in the NHIAA this season are well-represented between the state’s two powerhouse teams, Bedford and Londonderry, which have seven players between them on this list.
Londonderry’s Sammie Sullivan and Gemma Murray are the only two returners from last year’s Division 1 first team, and Bedford’s backcourt duo of Sarah Muir and Annie Zink and forward Mel McCarthy have plenty of firepower to lead the two-time defending Division 1 state champions.
Other teams expected to be competing in the upper half of Division 1 will have senior anchors carrying big workloads, including Concord-Christian, Keene and more.
Here is a look at 15 players to watch in the NHIAA this season, listed alphabetically.
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Brooke Benz, Pinkerton
Class of 2026, 5-10 forward
NCAA: SNHU
Pinkerton graduated with a significant amount of talent and will be on the younger side this season, and Benz will step up as the team’s centerpiece. A four-year starter and double-double machine, Benz has made her mark as a team-first player willing to do all the dirty work, but will be counted on to carry the scoring load after averaging 11 points per game last season.
Nicole De Jesus, Nashua South
Class of 2026, 5-0 guard
De Jesus is just five feet tall, but she is the heartbeat of a Nashua South team that should be much improved this season. De Jesus averaged over 15 points per game last season and excels as either a lead guard or off the ball, but arguably her biggest strength is her toughness. She is a scrappy and disruptive on-ball defender, and also is one of the team’s leading rebounders despite often being the smallest player on the court.
Brooke Eacrett, Londonderry
Class of 2026, 5-7 guard
Eacrett is an elite athlete and makes use of explosiveness on both ends, blowing by defenders to get to the rim and also locking down opponents as one of the state’s premier off-ball defenders. She averaged 12 points per game last season as Londonderry’s third-leading scorer, and plays seamlessly off star teammates Sammie Sullivan and Gemma Murray to form a three-headed monster on a Division 1 state title contender.
Avery Littlefield, Dover
Class of 2027, 5-6 guard
Littlefield averaged 14 points per game as a sophomore and projects as one of the state’s top scoring guards following the graduation of Dover’s all-time leading scorer, Lilly Nossiff. The strength of Littlefield’s game begins from beyond the arc, where she shot 40 percent last season, and she will also shoot off the dribble more this season from both midrange and deep. She averaged 19 points per game over her final eight regular season games and scored 26 in a tight postseason loss to Exeter, and should only improve this season as Dover’s featured player.
Mel McCarthy, Bedford
Class of 2027, 6-1 forward
The junior is a knockdown shooter, but can also put the ball on the floor and has a full array of interior post moves. McCarthy averaged just under 10 points per game last season and will be a focal point of the offense, in addition to providing rebounding and athleticism up and down the court. She already holds an offer from UNH and more Division 1 offers could come this season.
Sarah Muir, Bedford
Class of 2026, 5-7 guard
NCAA: Anderson
Muir has been a key piece of Bedford’s back-to-back state titles, and she will take on a leading role running the offense along with fellow senior Annie Zink. A commit to Div. 2 Anderson, Muir is a versatile scorer with an excellent basketball IQ, and also made last year’s Division 1 All-Defensive team. Muir averaged just under 10 points per game last season, which should increase with the graduation of Division 1 player of the year Kate Allard.
Gemma Murray, Londonderry
Class of 2027, 5-7 guard
Murray ascended into stardom as a sophomore last season, averaging 15 points per game and securing a spot on the Division 1 first team as a foundational piece of one of the state’s top programs. Murray is effective at creating space for her own shot and setting up her teammates, and is also one of the top on-ball defenders in the state. She already holds multiple Division 1 offers and will be a key piece to Londonderry’s state title quest.
Kayden Rioux, Bishop Guertin
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
Rioux began her high school career at Concord-Christian before moving to Bishop Guertin last season, where she made an immediate impact as the second-leading scorer on a top Division 1 program. Rioux is a pure point guard who is comfortable with the ball in her hands and thrives as a distributor, and she will look to improve her half-court offense this season as the team’s lead scoring option.
Lexy Rodgers, Exeter
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
Rodgers has averaged double-figure scoring totals in her freshman and sophomore campaigns, and she will take on a leading offensive role in her junior season. On top of her scoring, she was one of the team’s leading rebounders at six boards per game last year and is also a turnover-forcing machine with steals and deflections in passing lanes. Rodgers pushes the pace in transition and will spark Exeter on both sides of the ball.
Emma Smith, Concord Christian
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
NCAA: Lee
Smith made the Division 1 second team last year and has averaged a double-double each of the past two seasons, including averages of 18 points and 11 rebounds last year. She and co-star Lilli Carlile were a one-two punch last season, but Smith will be the unquestioned offensive centerpiece this year on one of the state’s top teams. Smith is a versatile offensive player and can score from inside and out, and will likely surpass the 2,000 career point mark this season.
Kate Stevens, Pembroke
Class of 2026, guard
Expectations are high for Stevens as the leader of one of Division 2’s top teams, after she averaged 16 points per game last season and was named to the Division 2 first team. Stevens has a refined offensive game and a well-rounded skillset, with excellent ball-handling skills and the ability to get to the rim at will. She has started since her freshman year and has taken immense strides on the defensive end to stay in front of defenders without fouling, making her one of the state’s more well-rounded players.
Sammie Sullivan, Londonderry
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
NCAA: Bryant
Sullivan is the consensus top returning player in the NHIAA, earning Division 1 first team honors last season after averaging over 19 points per game to lead Londonderry to the state championship game. The Bryant commit is a four-year starter and the full package on both ends of the court, with an ability to score inside and out. Sullivan often doesn’t need to run the offense given the presence of star teammate Gemma Murray, but can do so when called upon.
Harper Zalaski, Keene
Class of 2026, 6-0 forward
NCAA: SNHU
A lanky and athletic 6-footer, Zalaski is a four-year varsity starter who has led Keene in scoring each of the past two seasons. She earned Division 1 second team honors last year after averaging 17 points per game, and is a challenge to guard since she can beat smaller players in the post but also can take defenders off the dribble and knock down three-pointers. Zalaski is committed to Southern New Hampshire and will anchor an improved Keene squad.
Annie Zink, Bedford
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
NCAA: Middlebury
The other half of Bedford’s one-two backcourt punch, Zink is a bit more of a slasher than fellow senior teammate Sarah Muir, though her outside shot has also become a weapon. Zink, a Middlebury commit, plays with an incredibly high motor and has elite awareness as a playmaker. She averaged just over six points per game last year on a state title-winning team, which should go up this season with an expanded scoring role.
Eva Zink, Bedford
Class of 2028, 6-0 forward
The younger sister of Annie, Eva started from Day 1 as a freshman on last year’s state title winning team and expectations are high for her sophomore campaign. Zink is an elite athlete at 6 feet and uses her length and motor to guard any position from 1-5. She is a tenacious rebounder and has worked to develop her outside shot, which will be useful to complement Bedford’s many other weapons. She already holds offers from UNH and Bryant, and her growth will only enhance the two-time defending champ’s formidable depth.
