No team in NEPSAC girls basketball this year felt truly unbeatable, which made for an entertaining winter.
In Class AAA — which includes seven of our final Top 10 squads — six of the seven playoff games were decided by 10 points or less. The championships of the Class A, B Large and B Small postseasons also came down to single-digit margins of victory.
Playoff results carry the heaviest weight as we sort out our final Top 10. I also looked back at teams' quality wins during the season to try to sort out the hierarchy between classes. The top seven schools are clear in my mind, and after that, there's room for debate.
Here's our season-ending ranking of the best NEPSAC girls teams.
1. Hoosac (19-5)
Previous rank: 1
Hoosac's size, toughness and balance around Anna Moser (Rutland, Vt.) proved ready to claim the program's first championship. They shouldered a daunting playoff schedule against Newman, Tabor and finalist New Hampton, battling back from multiple early deficits. On the season, Hoosac only lost twice in NEPSAC play, one time each to New Hampton and Tilton.
Most of this roster graduates, including impact players like Uliana Doronina (headed to Quinnipiac), Tanavia Turpin (New Haven) and A'Briyah Cunningham. But Moser, one of the region's top 2027 prospects, will return, and coach Julie McBride will surely hit the recruiting trail hard again.
2. New Hampton (18-7)
Previous rank: 4
The Huskies made an admirable playoff run, including a thrilling overtime victory against Tilton in the AAA semifinals, before falling in the championship by two points. Elyse Ngenda (Bedford, N.H.) is one of the most highly-respected stars by NEPSAC coaches, and she ended her prep school career on a strong note. Ngenda, ranked No. 95 in the 2026 class by ESPN, will play at Stanford, and co-star center Serenity Lancaster (New London) heads to St. John's.
New Hampton's returning core is led by guards Ava Perry (Groveland, Mass.), Casey Stores (Bellingham, Mass.) and Saige DeJesus (Brockton, Mass.).
3. Tilton (28-4)
Previous rank: 3
The overtime semifinal heartbreaker to New Hampton froze what was an otherwise strong close to the season from the Rams, including beating the Huskies and Hoosac at the end of the regular season. They did go on to beat Darrow and Spire (Ohio) in the Girls Hoops Series national prep championship, marking their third consecutive tournament title.
Brooke Golden (headed to Northwestern), Bela Cucuta (George Washington) and Maddie McCaffery (St. Anselm) are significant graduates from the starting lineup. But with 2027 top prospect Bella Owumi (Lynn, Mass.) returning and a likely ascending starter in Ava Bryant, Tilton is an early frontrunner for next year.
4. Tabor (23-5)
Previous rank: 2
The Seawolves bowed out in the semifinals against Hoosac, the lone NEPSAC team that swept them this year. They still exceeded my expectations in a very strong first year with Lydia Caputi as head coach. Much of Tabor's guard group, led by Molly Corcoran (committed to Colgate) and Tess Adams (Bentley) will graduate, though 2028 guard Lily Davis (Waterford, Conn.) represents a backcourt cornerstone. Lauren Fitzgerald (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Corinne Lomax (Watertown, Conn.) will be one of NEPSAC's top frontcourt duos next season.
5. Nobles (20-8)
Previous rank: 5
The Bulldogs ended their season with a competitive quarterfinal loss to AAA finalist New Hampton. Their only losses all season were twice apiece to the above four AAA powers. Though senior starters Brynn Bryant (Dedham, Mass.) and Vanessa Ellis (Stoughton, Mass.) are graduating, Nobles has an exciting returning core that should put them near the top of NEPSAC next season. That's led by 2027 forward Izzy Kittredge (Medfield, Mass.) and 2028s Alannah Morantus (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Aliyah Allston-Pujols (Randolph, Mass.).
6. Darrow (23-4)
Previous rank: 7
The Ducks were tested in the Class AA playoffs, particularly during their 67-66 overtime triumph against Northfield Mount Hermon in the semifinal. But they were undeterred and ultimately lost just one AA game all season en route to their first title in the class. Darrow then beat Western Reserve in the national prep championship before falling to Tilton.
Lead playmaker Jill Dingler is off to Central Connecticut State, but the Ducks have their other starters back. That includes a fun guard trio of Brooke Lilley, Taelor Arnold and Dior Dobere. DD Harcourt is among the top centers in NEPSAC.
7. Newman (14-18)
Previous rank: 6
The Cardinals withstood three straight losses (two to Putnam Science and their AAA quarterfinal loss to Hoosac) before ending their season with a win against Spire (Ohio). Newman led most of the way in its AAA postseason matchup, but Moser and Hoosac were relentless. Again, I strongly urge readers to overlook the record, with most of the Cardinals' losses coming against top-five AAA schools and non-NEPSAC opponents (and a close win against Darrow). Newman had a great season relative to its other NEPSAC peers under first-year coach Katie Kolinski and brings most of its top players back.
8. Dexter Southfield (13-16)
Previous rank: NR
This will be the most polarizing team in our final rankings because Dexter Southfield spent so much of the second half of the winter injured and losing. But when healthy, this was a top-five NEPSAC program that beat Nobles, Darrow and Tabor among several other premier programs. And at season's end, Dexter was almost fully healthy and had both Ella Peper (Newton, Mass.) and Avery Bollin (Raynham, Mass.) back in the lineup. They just happened to play Tabor twice (and came close to beating the Seawolves in the regular season finale). Dexter had a bumpy overall season, but if I'm ranking the top 10 teams at the conclusion, it's a no-doubter.
9. Hamden Hall (21-6)
Previous rank: NR
We have two spots left and four other NEPSAC champions to consider. In my mind, Hamden Hall has the most impressive body of work: multiple wins against Kimball Union and Ethel Walker, plus single wins against Newman, Sacred Heart and Wilbraham & Monson. The Hornets won a title for the second straight year and will contend again with the returning 2027 trio of Maddie Benigni (East Hampton, Conn.), Andrea Crump (Milford, Conn.) and Alexa Huckaby (Bristol, Conn.).
10. Sacred Heart (21-7)
Previous rank: NR
Sacred Heart finally knocked Loomis Chaffee from its perch atop Class A and secured its first title in team history. Health played a part in the squad's early losses, but they dropped only one game from February through the end of the season. Graduating Eva Wilkerson, who heads to Towson, will hurt the defense in particular. But I think Lucianna Parrotta is a great 2027 prospect and still somewhat underrated, and Addy Sipkin has a year under her belt as a talented freshman point guard too.
The next five:Â Berkshire, Kimball Union, Lawrence Academy, Worcester Academy, Wilbraham & Monson
Berkshire was a close call here after the Bears won Class B Large in an overtime thriller against Lawrence Academy, who also ended the season strong. There's a valid case if you wanted to insert the Bears over Sacred Heart.
Kimball Union beat Berkshire in the regular season finale and also went to the B Small final. Worcester Academy and Wilbraham & Monson (and Northfield Mount Hermon as well) were also stalwarts in Class AA. Other quality teams I thought about include Loomis Chaffee, St. George's, Suffield, Brooks and Ethel Walker.
