Every year, the MIAA girls basketball season promises a full winter of heated competition that leads into state postseason thrillers. We should be in for another exciting slate.
Much of the top talent opted to stay at their MIAA schools, and at first glance, it appears fewer stars transferred to NEPSAC. With so many of last season's top programs headlined by juniors and underclassmen, the 2024-25 title hunt is filled with those same standouts plus more on the way. And the top teams come from everywhere: up in the Merrimack Valley and Cape Ann regions, down to the South Coast and west to Springfield and the Berkshires.
It's still quite early; tryouts and practices won't begin until after Thanksgiving. But with the school year underway, we have a clearer picture of where the top players are and where the best teams stand on paper.
Here are five early storylines to think about as the season gets closer.
Which teams will affirm their dynasty status?
The five reigning state champions — Bishop Feehan (Div. 1), Medfield (Div. 2), Foxboro (Div. 3), Cathedral (Div. 4) and Hoosac Valley (Div. 5) — have been five of the most reliable title contenders in recent years. All five are the preseason favorites in their respective divisions and can cement themselves as dynasties.
The Shamrocks won their second championship in program history after losing to Andover in the state final in 2022-23. With Charlotte Adams-Lopez and Maddy Steel in the backcourt, Bishop Feehan isn't going anywhere, even in a deep Division 1 field. Same goes for Medfield in Division 2, where the young trio of sophomore Naya Annigeri and juniors Izzy Kittredge and Tess Baacke are back to overwhelm opponents. Medfield captured its first title since 2017 last year but is one of only four schools to have made the state semifinals in each of the three years of the statewide tournament.
Foxboro has won two consecutive titles: in Div. 2 in 2022-23, and in Div. 3 last year following MIAA division realignment. Cathedral has dominated Division 4, winning six of the last nine state championships. Though the 2023-24 title was Hoosac Valley's first since being co-champions in 2020, the Hurricanes have made state finals in eight of the last 11 seasons.
Will we get a first-time state champion?
Last year, four of the 10 teams in the state championships — Wachusett, Worcester South, South Hadley and West Boylston — were making their first such appearances in program history. Add in Norwell, whose lone other appearance came in 1989 (a loss to Lee), and five squads were on the cusp of their first titles. All five lost.
Who could break through this year?
Of those teams, the best bet is Norwell. The Clippers return most of their top talent, including versatile forward Maddie Oliver and sharpshooter Reagan Dowd. They'll have to beat out an elite top tier in Division 3 that includes Foxboro and St. Mary's to win it all. West Boylston and South Hadley also bring back most of their starting lineups. Others will undoubtedly emerge during the winter.
Bishop Fenwick's return to tournament eligibility
When the MIAA banned Bishop Fenwick from state tournaments across all sports last season after investigating rules violations involving an ineligible player on the baseball team, the girls basketball team felt the most severe effects. The Crusaders proved themselves as the team to beat in Division 2, even defeating Medfield twice during the regular season, but couldn't compete for a title.
That squad was loaded, headlined by star center Cecilia Kay (now at American). Bishop Fenwick lost several key players but does have a core to build around. Caitlin Boyle was one of the summer's biggest stock-risers on the AAU circuit, scoring five Div. 1 college offers, and should step into a larger role with Kay's departure. Junior guard Celia Neilson has been an impact player for multiple years and also picked up her first offer from Le Moyne this summer. With those two leading the way, Bishop Fenwick should contend again.
Wachusett enters a new era
Despite not winning a state championship, Wachusett has a legitimate case as the most dominant program since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mountaineers are a combined 68-5 across the last three seasons and made it to the Division 1 final for the first time in 2023-24. Mary Gibbons, now at Navy, was the leader throughout, and she's one of seven seniors who graduated.
Though 2024-25 is a transition year, Wachusett should still win plenty. Junior forward Jaelynn Scott emerged as a game-altering defensive presence down the stretch in addition to her tough driving buckets. Scott averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks last year and has picked up Division 1 college offers from Bryant and Manhattan.
Beyond Scott, keep an eye on Sophie Gibbons (2026) and Teegan Lanpher (2027) — two talented guards and younger sisters of former Wachusett stars in Mary Gibbons and Belle Lanpher.
We're on 2,000-point watch
In Massachusetts state basketball history, 79 players (both boys and girls) have eclipsed the 2,000-point milestone. There's a chance we get No. 80 from the girls side this year.
Dartmouth senior point guard Kat Cheesebro is at 1,434 career points. With 566 to go, Cheesebro would need to average 28.3 points in a 20-game span or 24.6 points across 23 games (assuming a postseason run). She put up 27.3 per game last season, so it will be close, but she's on track.
Cheesebro has the best shot, but she's not the only one. Kailey Sullivan is more of a longshot at 1,288 points (needs 712), though Foxboro could play several extra games if they contend for a state title, and Sullivan will be the No. 1 scoring option for the first time in her high school career. Those two are the immediate standouts, but a monster senior season could vault someone else into the conversation.
