The stars of MIAA girls basketball lived up to their billing in this year's state tournament.
We saw loaded Medfield and Wachusett teams show why they're the best around, with both capturing state championships. Those programs are led by names we know well.
But as I wrote before the tournament — there's an underclassmen wave on the rise. Five of our 15 All-Tournament honorees are from the 2028 and 2029 classes, signaling the future of MIAA hoops is in good hands.
Here are our three All-Tournament teams highlighting the top postseason performers.
First Team
Abby Broderick, Medfield
The sophomore star finished her breakout season on a massive high note, averaging 24.2 points during the postseason. Broderick's high was a 31-point outburst in the quarterfinals against Norwood and she scored 25 points in the Division 2 championship game.
PERFECTION:Â Medfield caps 25-0 season with dominant Div. 2 title
Phoebe Carroll, Hopedale
Class of 2026, 5-10 forward
NCAA: Bridgewater State
Carroll's 23-point, 11-rebound double-double accounted for nearly half of her team's points in the Division 5 championship victory. She also notched 27 points against Prospect Hill in the round of 16 and 14 points against Douglas in the semifinals.
LOCKDOWN D:Â How Hopedale's defense paved the way to a Division 5 title
Cara Dean, South Hadley
Class of 2027, 5-10 forward
Dean was a reliable leader in South Hadley's first-ever Division 4 title run. She averaged 14.2 points, including 19 points against Millis in the semifinals and 12 in the championship win over Frontier.
FINALLY FIRST:Â After two runner-up years, South Hadley is on top of Division 4
Teegan Lanpher, Wachusett
Class of 2027, 5-3 guard
Lanpher dashed her way to 20.4 points per game as the scoring engine of Wachusett's second consecutive championship. She led the Mountaineers with 22 points in the state final and hit her postseason high (25 points) in the quarterfinals against Natick.
BACK TO BACK:Â Wachusett defends its place on the Division 1 throne
Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick
Hometown: Beverly, Mass.
Neilson dominated the Division 3 bracket to the tune of 21.2 points per game. That included double-doubles in both the state semifinals and championship game as Bishop Fenwick won its first title in 10 years.
YEARS IN THE MAKING:Â How Bishop Fenwick put MIAA controversy in the past with a Div. 3 title
Second Team
Naya Annigeri, Medfield
Annigeri secured her third straight championship by averaging a consistent 17.6 points per game, including 17 points against St. Mary's in the Division 2 final. She also tallied five or more steals in each of Medfield's first three tournament wins and was again a havoc-wreaking defender on the perimeter.
BRACKET RESULTS: Division 1Â |Â Division 2Â |Â Division 3Â |Â Division 4Â |Â Division 5
Caprese Conyers, Pittsfield
Class of 2028, 5-7 guard
Conyers is a fast-rising name to know in MIAA hoops. The lightning-quick guard led her team with 15 points in the Division 3 title defeat and mixed in a handful of on-ball steals. Conyers averaged 15.8 points during the tournament, leading Pittsfield to its first state final appearance since 2002.
Sysy Mcausland Emmanuel, St. Mary’s
Hometown: Melrose, Mass.
Emmanuel opened the Division 2 tournament with 26, 22 and 26-point outings that powered the Spartans to the semifinals. She also hit the winning free throw to lift St. Mary's past Whitman-Hanson to the Div. 2 championship game.
Jae Scott, Wachusett
Class of 2026, 6-0 guard/forward
NCAA: Tulsa
Scott capped her outstanding high school career with a second straight Division 1 crown. She averaged 16.4 points in the tournament, highlighted by 22 in the quarterfinals against Natick.
Zi'Yan Wallace, Springfield Central
Class of 2029, 5-10 forward
Wallace put the state on notice as a star of the present and future, helping Springfield Central to a finals appearance in Division 1. She averaged 17.2 points in the state tournament and turned heads with a game-high 25 points in the championship loss.
Third Team
Anna Freeman, Medway
NCAA: Babson
Freeman reached the 1,000-point benchmark in the first round of the tournament, scoring 17 points. But her most important performance came in the Division 3 quarterfinals, when she caught fire for 29 points and guided Medway past Cathedral.
Dylan Hurley, Whitman-Hanson
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
NCAA: St. Anselm
One of the MIAA's true big-moment gamers ended high school strong. Hurley averaged 20.3 points during Whitman-Hanson's semifinal run, including 29 points in the round of 16 against Fontbonne.
Giavanna Mars, Springfield Central
Class of 2028, 5-6 guard
Mars was steady as a scorer and tough perimeter defender all season for the Golden Eagles. She averaged 15.6 points in the Division 1 tournament and scored 11 in Springfield Central's championship defeat.
Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan
Hometown: Dighton, Mass.
NCAA: StonehillÂ
Mullen steered the Shamrocks through her final state tournament up to the Division 1 semifinals. Through Feehan's first three wins, Mullen averaged 20.3 points and 5.7 steals.
Skyler Steele, Frontier
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard/forward
Steele had the most success for Frontier, scoring half of her team's points with 19 in the Division 4 championship loss to South Hadley. She reached double figures in every tournament game and averaged 15.8 points.
