The implementation of Class B Small gave an opportunity for some underrated quality NEPSAC girls basketball programs to shine.
Though the championship matchup was no surprise — a rematch between Hamden Hall and Kimball Union — the rest of the B Small playoff field was full of breakout teams and individuals.
Our final batch of NEPSAC awards includes three underclassmen who are fast-rising stars in the region. I'm determined our individual honors and two All-B Small teams using my own observations, stats I've compiled and the perspectives of some opposing coaches.
Here are our award winners in Class B Small.
MORE NEPSAC AWARDS:Â Class AAAÂ |Â Class AAÂ |Â Class A | Class B Large
Player of the Year: Maddie Benigni, Hamden Hall
Hometown: East Hampton, Conn.
Benigni immediately shook Class B Small in her first season transferring into NEPSAC. The point guard powered Hamden Hall's title defense with 20.8 points as well as three assists and two steals per game. Benigni landed on our All-Tournament First Team and tied for the high individual scoring mark at this year's Super Sunday with 27 points.
Benigni was a clear winner in this award race. Kimball Union's Leila Portugal and Ethel Walker's Liana Salamone would be next in the conversation.
Defensive Player of the Year: Leila Portugal Roman, Kimball Union
Class of 2026, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Queens, N.Y.
NCAA: SNHU
Portugal was Kimball Union's scoring leader, but her defense was her biggest strength and helped the Wildcats to the B Small final. She notched two steals, three additional deflections and eight rebounds per game as a tenacious perimeter defender.
Fontanella was a strong candidate for this award to me, and she also captured NEPSGBCA's Defensive Player of the Year award. Other candidates included Hamden Hall guards Andrea Crump and Reilly Chernovetz, and Holderness forward Kate Carboni.
Coach of the Year: John Monagan, Ethel Walker
Monagan and Kingswood Oxford coach Quinn O'Brien were my two finalists for this award. O'Brien and his group surprised me with their own semifinal run and near-victory against top-seeded Kimball Union.
All-Class B Small First Team
Maddie Benigni, Hamden Hall
Hometown: East Hampton, Conn.
Benigni, as written above, is our B Small Player of the Year. She's No. 14 in our 2027 New England prospect rankings. She recently reopened her recruitment after initially committing to Quinnipiac.
Isys Dunphy, Cushing
Hometown: Barrington, R.I.
NCAA: Central Connecticut
Dunphy tallied 18.9 points per game as the engine of Cushing's playoff run. She swiped 2.8 steals and nearly a block per game, also posting seven double-doubles.
Carolyn Joo, King
Hometown: Ridgefield, Conn.
Joo put the team on her back with some of the most impressive scoring efforts in all of NEPSAC this winter. Her 26.1 per-game average included a 50-point eruption and a 37 percent hit rate from 3-point range. Joo also averaged 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 steals and three assists per game.
Leila Portugal Roman, Kimball Union
Class of 2026, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Queens, N.Y.
NCAA: SNHU
In addition to her award-winning defense, Portugal also led the Wildcats in scoring (14 points per game) and handed out two assists per game.
Liana Salamone, Ethel Walker
Hometown: East Hampton, Conn.
NCAA: Central Connecticut
Salamone lit up B Small with 21.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals and two assists per game. She also shot 54 percent from the field.
All-Class B Small Second Team
Jordynn Elijah, Kimball Union
Class of 2028, 6-1 wing
Hometown: Ozone Park, N.Y.
Elijah made a splash in her first NEPSAC season as a rangy wing defender. She averaged 12 points, seven rebounds and a block per game.
Ashley Fontanella, Ethel Walker
Hometown: Higganum, Conn.
Fontanella logged a breakout season with 12.9 points per game and a 39 percent clip behind the arc. She also grabbed 4.2 rebounds and was the primary point-of-attack defender for Ethel Walker.
Samaria Gonzalez, Kingswood Oxford
Class of 2026, 5-5 guard
Hometown: Bloomfield, Conn.
Gonzalez helped guide Kingswood Oxford on a breakout semifinal run in the B Small playoffs. She averaged 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Tessa Porch, Hamden Hall
Class of 2026, 5-9 wing
Hometown: Middletown, Conn.
NCAA: Mercy
Porch's crafty scoring flies under the radar but was critical in Hamden Hall's championship season. She tallied 13.4 points, six rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.
Jaizzy Santiago, Mount St. Charles
Class of 2026, 5-5 guard
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
NCAA: Rhode Island College
Santiago collected 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.2 assists per game, helping lead Mount St. Charles to a No. 5 postseason seed.
Honorable mentions:Â Ava Ayotte (Mount St. Charles), Nyasia Caban (Kimball Union), Kate Carboni (Holderness), Reilly Chernovetz (Hamden Hall), Andrea Crump (Hamden Hall), Sophie Dupeyron (Kimball Union), Dalila Malz (Kingswood Oxford)
