This year's field of Class A playoff teams is an intriguing mix of established powers and on-the-rise programs.
Loomis Chaffee remains dominant and pursues a fifth straight title as the top seed. Second-seeded Sacred Heart seems up for the challenge after the two foes battled in last year's championship matchup.
Further down the bracket, Phillips Andover and Milton Academy are largely defined by their young talent. Do they have what it takes to shake up the Class A hierarchy?
Here's how each team is shaping up as the postseason gets underway.
MORE BRACKET BREAKDOWNS:Â Class AAAÂ |Â Class AA |Â Class B Large | Class B Small
1. Loomis Chaffee (17-8)
Record against Class A field:Â 6-1
The Pelicans seek to maintain their iron grip on Class A with a fifth straight championship. Getting to this point hasn't been as smooth as recent years. Loomis opened the winter 3-3, losing to Ethel Walker and Milton Academy. But the team started syncing up in January and went on a 9-2 run between Jan. 21 and Feb. 18.
On paper, this is still the best roster in the class, headline by Division 1 talents in Dartmouth commit Izzy Cruz (Stafford Springs, Conn.) and American commit Lauren Wright (South Glastonbury, Conn.). Leah McKenzie (Farmington, Conn.) is also an impact two-way 2027 wing with a handful of Div. 1 offers. Loomis is a much better team than three months ago which bodes well for its five-peat chances.
BRACKET TRACKERS: Class AA bracket | Class A bracket | Class B Large, B Small, C brackets
2. Sacred Heart (18-7)
Record against Class A field:Â 3-2
If there's a year to knock off Loomis Chaffee, this might be it for Sacred Heart. They lost the head-to-head matchup on Jan. 30, 50-38, but have mostly found success in a tough schedule, though they also dropped a game against Taft. Sacred Heart just reached the FAA championship game but fell to St. Luke's. Towson-bound senior Eva Wilkerson and versatile 2027 prospect Lucianna Parrotta are a unique wing duo that can give opponents fits. When guards Ava Curto and Addy Sipkin are on their games, that elevates the ceiling for this rotation.
3. Kent (14-7)
Record against Class A field:Â 4-2
Kent enters the postseason riding a five-game win streak that includes quality victories against Kingswood Oxford and Choate. This is routinely one of the stingiest defenses in the class; it hasn't allowed 50 points to an opponent since Jan. 14. Kent only fields a 10-player varsity roster, but keep an eye on transfer point guard Caoimhe Brophy from Ireland. Fellow 2026 classmates Agar Malek (Guilford, Conn.), committed to Bates, and Kaya Nuttall (Wakefield, R.I.), headed to Swarthmore, are also impact talents.
4. Phillips Andover (17-8)
Record against Class A field:Â 2-2
Phillips Andover is also rolling, having won nine of its last 12 games (including against AA Austin Prep and Class A playoff team Thayer). Alani Rodriguez (Haverhill, Mass.) and Jules Stevenson (Beverly, Mass.) complement each other well as a backcourt duo. Rodriguez, a 2027 point guard, is quick off the dribble and a strong finisher around the basket. Stevenson has already passed 1,000 career points as a 2028 shooting guard and can light up the 3-point arc. They'll be the catalysts as Phillips Andover tries to improve on its quarterfinal exit as a No. 8 seed last year.
5. Milton Academy (14-9)
Record against Class A field:Â 2-1
The young Mustangs have been inconsistent this winter, but they're improving year-over-year. Their peaks have been impressive, including beating Loomis Chaffee at the Nickerson Showcase and Class B Large title contender St. George's on Feb. 18. The Mustangs have senior experience led by Smith commit Ella Trefethen (Bow, N.H.), but they lean heavily on a sophomore class that includes guards Jolie Abelard (Milton, Mass.) and Bella Baez (Milton, Mass.) as well as center Ella Higgins (Norwell, Mass.). Freshmen Jen Xue (Quincy, Mass.) and Brooke Reddicks (Milton, Mass.) are promising prospects.
6. Taft (11-10)
Record against Class A field:Â 2-3
The Rhinos are another squad with some dramatic highs and lows on their schedule. They started just 3-6 before righting the ship and enter the playoffs having won five of their last six contests. Taft also beat both Choate and Sacred Heart during a back-to-back to end January. Longwood commit Maddy Little is the primary engine for the squad, but Taft also has a few capable shooters, including 6-foot-2 wing Sara Santimaw from Nova Scotia.
7. Choate (9-12)
Record against Class A field:Â 1-5
A seven-game losing streak between Jan. 21 and Feb. 14 undermined what has otherwise been a solid season. Choate played most of its toughest opponents during that stretch. They're lacking that signature win on the schedule but have come close against teams like Worcester Academy, Suffield and Berkshire. Choate fields quality guard depth led by Sky Burke (Meriden, Conn.) and Abby Kim (Berlin, Conn.). I think 2027 forward Skyelyn Schoen-Rene (Colchester, Conn.) flies a bit under the radar as well.
8. Thayer (12-13)
Record against Class A field: 1-5
The Tigers took down Milton Academy at TD Garden during the Andrew Lawson Invitational, representing arguably their biggest win of the season. They haven't had much other luck against their playoff foes but were close in one-possession defeats to Choate and Phillips Andover. Cassidy Mullin (Quincy, Mass.) is the senior captain and leader of the team, which also gets notable contributions from sophomore Sophie Gaultier (North Easton, Mass.).
