As with all of our NEPSAC preseason honors, the Class A team was tough to pick.
There’s one shoe-in at the center position who’s also on our All-New England team. But the remaining four spots are up for debate.
The guard selections were especially challenging. Some picks might not be lighting up the scoreboard, but they’ve displayed clear production and winning impact at the NEPSAC level. This is also just a preseason award, and new names could pop onto the radar as the winter progresses.
With that being said — the Class A team is a super-talented group. Let’s get to the squad.
MORE: All-NEPSAC AAA team | All-NEPSAC AA team
Abby Congdon, Loomis Chaffee
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn.
Congdon emerged last season as one of the most pivotal players during Loomis Chaffee’s run to the Class A championship, earning tournament MVP honors. The 5-foot-7 point guard averaged 9.1 points, 4 assists and 3 steals as a Class A All-NEPSAC member. Congdon is among the team-leading minutes-getters and Loomis Chaffee relies heavily on her consistent playmaking and defensive presence at the point of attack. She’ll play in college at Tufts.
PREP PREVIEW:Â What to expect from Loomis Chaffee in 2024-25
Morgan Johnson, Kent
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Carmel, N.Y.
With Kent again in the swarm of contenders behind Loomis Chaffee, expect Johnson (Carmel, N.Y.) to level up in a larger role. The Assumption-bound guard averaged 11 points and reached All-NEPSAC status, helping Kent to the Class A championship game. Johnson’s a pesky on-ball defender who moves her feet well laterally, and though a streaky shooter, she’s showing confidence entering senior year.
PRESEASON TEAMS:Â All-New England | All-NEPSAC AAA | All-NEPSAC AA
Kaila Richards, Hotchkiss
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
Hometown: Far Rockaway, N.Y.
Richards, who committed to Bucknell over a host of Division 1 mid-majors, is arguably the class’s best scorer. The 5-foot-7 point guard from Far Rockaway, N.Y., is tough to stop as a driver when she gets low and explodes past defenders. She’s got great touch as a lefty on her floaters and can capably knock down 3s. Hotchkiss is one of the leading challengers to Loomis Chaffee’s dominance, and Richards can help them take the throne.
Morgan Jenkins, Hotchkiss
Class of 2026, 6-2 post
Hometown: Higganum, Conn.
Jenkins (Higganum, Conn.) has already announced her intentions to take a postgrad year and join the Class of 2026. That’ll keep the momentum rolling even longer after she shined as one of the biggest stock-risers of this past summer and stacked up several Division 1 offers. Jenkins displays a consistent motor on the glass and a reliable inside scoring touch. She averaged 18.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.4 blocks last season as a Class A All-Star.
Alicia Mitchell, Loomis Chaffee
Class of 2025, 6-3 post
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
Last season was Mitchell’s first in NEPSAC after she won an MIAA Division 5 championship the year prior with Springfield International Charter. For her to ascend from the lowest division in MIAA and average a double-double on a title-winning NEPSAC team is testament to how her talent translates. Mitchell (Springfield, Mass.) should be even better this season with a year of experience. She might not drop 25 points on a nightly basis, but she will dominate the paint on both ends before she heads to Columbia.
POWER RANKINGS:Â Here are the top 10 NEPSAC teams to start 2024-25
Honorable mention: Elle Grant (Thayer), Jasmine James (Thayer), Aniyah Neal (Loomis Chaffee), Lucianna Parrotta (Sacred Heart), Eva Wilkerson (Sacred Heart)
