This is my sixth year covering MIAA girls basketball in some capacity. It’s the most uncertain I’ve felt about the state hierarchy since the statewide tournament debuted in 2021-22.
Two teams clearly stand above the rest at the start of this winter, but after that, things get puzzling. Some of the traditional powers lost significant talent to graduation or prep transfers, while other breakout teams from last winter look ready to build on their successes.
Is there a changing of the guard happening in MIAA? Or will the usual strongholds win out with talent pipelines and veteran coaching? That’s one major storyline I’m watching.
Here’s how I view the top 10 teams entering the winter.
1. Wachusett
Division 1
Last season: 24-1, won Div. 1 championship
Head coach: Jim Oxford
Whenever I’ve talked with coaches about contending teams in Division 1, the conversation typically starts with some version of, “Well, there’s Wachusett…”
The Mountaineers will surprise no one this season. They bring back our MIAA Player of the Year, Jae Scott, who committed to Tulsa this fall. Sophie Gibbons (committed to Endicott) and 2027 point guard Teegan Lanpher make up the best backcourt in the state. And feel free to join me on the breakout watch hype train for 2028 center Kyla Yurkus. Expectations are sky-high for this heavy favorite to repeat.
JUGGERNAUT: Why Wachusett feels inevitable entering the winter
2. Medfield
Division 2
Last season: 23-2, won Div. 2 championship
Head coach: Mark Nickerson
Medfield ended last year as our No. 1 ranked team and demolished Worcester South in the largest margin of victory ever for a girls state championship game. Losing Izzy Kittredge to Nobles drops them one spot in these preseason rankings, but the Warriors are still a wagon and my clear favorites in a stacked Division 2. Like Wachusett in Div. 1, Medfield boasts a best-in-state candidate in star 2027 guard Naya Annigeri and a 2028 breakout name to watch in Abby Broderick. Tess Baacke’s two-way impact on the wing can’t be understated either.
THREE-PEAT WATCH: Why the Warriors remain among the MIAA's best
3. Worcester South
Division 1
Last season: 19-5, lost in Div. 2 championship to Medfield
Head coach: Diago McClain
After back-to-back runner-up finishes in Div. 2, South is now in Division 1. The Colonels enter at a time where most of the division has question marks aside from Wachusett. They have a real shot at making a third consecutive championship game because unlike a lot of the top tier, South brings back most of its same roster. McClain believes this is his best defensive team yet, and despite being undersized, this program has consistently kept up with some of the elite.
FEATURE STORY: How the Colonels have built a statewide power in Worcester
4. Bishop Feehan
Division 1
Last season: 23-4, lost in Div. 1 championship to Wachusett
Head coach: Amy Dolores
Bishop Feehan graduated a core that helped steer it to three straight Div. 1 finals and a 2022-23 title. The Shamrocks will have to dig deep into the program to find depth, but there’s still some star power with Stonehill commit Mollie Mullen returning for her senior year. Keep an eye on wings Addison Frenette and Shannon LaMorticelli as rising stars in the lineup.
READ MORE: How the Shamrocks are approaching this winter's re-tooling effort
5. Whitman-Hanson
Division 2
Last season: 17-8, lost in Div. 2 semifinals to Worcester South
Head coach: Michael Costa
I was on Whitman-Hanson as a sleeper last year, and the Panthers cashed in with a thrilling semifinal run as a No. 7 seed. We’re all-in this winter. This is such a fun roster with two of my favorite MIAA players to watch in St. Anselm commit Dylan Hurley and 2027 star Maliah Pierre. Whitman-Hanson always defends well and I think they have enough offensive firepower to truly break through at a statewide level.
DYNAMIC DUO: How Pierre and Hurley can lead the Panthers to new heights
6. Bishop Fenwick
Division 3
Last season: 10-12, lost in Div. 2 second round to Medfield
Head coach: Adam DeBaggis
The Crusaders are two years removed from being the best team in Div. 2 despite their state postseason ban. They’re three years removed from being a Div. 3 finalist. Now back in Div. 3, they’re an immediate frontrunner thanks in part to Stonehill commit Caitlin Boyle and top uncommitted 2026 guard Celia Neilson. DeBaggis’ teams always defend and play with physicality.
RETURN TO PROMINENCE: How the Crusaders can get back to state title contention
7. North Quincy
Division 2
Last season: 20-4, lost in Div. 2 semifinals to Medfield
Head coach: Liana Cunningham
After last season’s surprise run to the Div. 2 semis, North Quincy lost leading scorer Maeve Powers to NEPSAC but has most of the other impact contributors back. A’laya Colbert is ready for takeoff as a junior center, and so is classmate Tabby McDonough. Cunningham is a rising star in high school coaching circles and should have this squad ready to back up the hype.
ENCORE PERFORMANCE: How North Quincy can follow up its breakout season
8. St. Mary’s
Division 2
Last season: 25-3, won Div. 3 championship
Head coach: Jeff Newhall
The Spartans lose four starters from last year’s Division 3 championship team, highlighted by superstar Bella Owumi’s transfer to Tilton. But there’s still reason to believe this program, now in Division 2, can contend right away. The Spartans have standout underclassmen who have experience playing in big games from last winter. They went unbeaten in the summer’s Wally Seaver Invitational. I’d bank on St. Mary’s realizing some of its potential by the spring.
BREAKOUT WATCH: Here are the young talents to monitor for a leap with the Spartans
9. Braintree
Division 1
Last season: 21-3, won Div. 1 semifinals to Wachusett
Head coach: Kelley MacDonald
By defeating Woburn in last season’s Division 1 quarterfinal, Braintree proved its breakout season was legitimate against some of the state’s premier programs. Center Frankie Spadorcia graduates, but senior Frankie Mazzini represents a high-level defensive point guard who can capably run an offense. Braintree also has some underrated shooters, including 2027 guard Eva Downing. Put this school with the rest of the prime Wachusett challengers.
BUZZ IS BACK: How Braintree is managing its return to the MIAA limelight
10. Cathedral
Division 3
Last season: 19-5, won Div. 4 championship
Head coach: Clinton Lassiter
Seven graduated seniors is a stunning loss of talent, even for a perennial powerhouse like Cathedral. The Panthers are also in a much tougher Division 3. But they’ll stay among the fastest-paced, most entertaining groups in the state with athletic playmakers in seniors Keyona Raines and Tamia Darling. We’ll just have to see who Lassiter has in the reserves as a breakout name.
The next five: Needham, King Philip, Springfield Central, Natick, Archbishop Williams
