The dust has settled on a jam-packed second half of grassroots basketball, and though more fallout will take place on the recruiting front in the next few weeks, it's time to look at who took charge in the summer months.
We covered our first-half girls stock-risers in late May following the second live period. Since then, we've followed the two July live periods as well as the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase; though that's not an AAU event, it was a live showcase that similarly helped players shine in front of college coaches.
Our second half stock-risers list includes a wide range of athletes, from nationally-ranked stars to recruits receiving their first offers. It's a mix of players on the rise in the eyes of college or national evaluators (an influx of offers, a big jump in rankings, etc.), plus a few who I personally am higher on after watching more hoops.
Here are 10 players who boosted their stock in June and July.
AAU GIRLS RECAP: These teams shined during the July championships
Alannah Baehr, Connecticut Basketball Club
Class of 2027, 6-1 guard/forward
Suffield/Colchester, Conn.
Baehr landed her first Big East offer from Providence in June and has also picked up Boston University, Penn, Mercyhurst and UNH since mid-May. Her perimeter shooting off the catch and mid-range pull-up scoring at her size really shine, and she's tough to contain in the open floor. I also liked watching Baehr's length lead to defensive impact when I saw her at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase. If she can maintain her versatility while adding strength, she'll become an even more dynamic wing.
Lauren Bousquet, Mass Huskies
Class of 2026, 5-10 forward
Moses Brown/West Warwick, R.I.
Bousquet spearheaded the Huskies' 13-1 July surge and success at Nike Nationals in Chicago. Among her highlights was a 33-point explosion in the semifinals of the consolation bracket against Houston Hoops. Bousquet continues to show off power drives and footwork around the basket, but she's also seeking out more 3-pointers and converting. Her recruiting picked up more steam in July, adding offers from Sacred Heart, Northeastern and Albany.
Brynn Bryant, MCW Starz
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
Nobles/Dedham, Mass.
The NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase gave us a good chance to see how Bryant might fare in a leading role on Nobles next season. She's drawn praise in the past for her pesky perimeter defense, but Bryant's also a much better 3-point shooter than I realized. She injects tempo into offenses with her quickness driving with the ball and moving without it. Bryant's going to find a way to impact both ends of the floor on any team she plays with.
NEPSAC SHOWCASE STANDOUTS: 2026 girls | 2027 girls | 2028 and 2029 girls
Morgan Jenkins, Bay State Jaguars
Class of 2026, 6-2 forward
Newman/Higganum, Conn.
Jenkins keeps leveling up and colleges are clearly drawn to her two-way versatility. Since late May she's added offers from Buffalo, Fairfield, UMass, Rhode Island, Boston College, VCU and Florida Atlantic. Jenkins has developed into a fundamentally-sound post player who positions herself well around the basket and is quick with her footwork and scoring moves. She's also grown into a pretty dangerous catch-and-shoot threat behind the arc. Jenkins' college decision will be fun to follow; she now has well over 30 scholarship offers.
Daniella McLean, iDream
Class of 2026, 6-3 center
Darrow/Toronto, Canada
McLean figures to be among NEPSAC's top centers and has really refined her game. She's always been an athletic rim-runner who can rebound and block shots, but her scoring presence around the basket has come a long way. McLean also shows flashes of 3-point shooting and can handle the ball in the open floor. She's started to pique high majors' interest with offers from BC, Davidson, Providence and Xavier in the last two months.
Bella Owumi, MCW Starz
Class of 2027, 6-0 guard/forward
Tilton/Lynn, Mass.
Owumi's been a star in New England for a while, but she vaulted into the national conversation this grassroots season. She soared up to No. 32 in ESPN's 2027 rankings update at the start of June. About a week later, Owumi had the NEPSAC world buzzing as she immediately stood out in her prep debut at the Scholastic Showcase. Along the way, she continued to stack offers from high-major programs including NC State, Georgia, Arizona, Cal, Pitt, St. John's and Cincinnati. Some opposing coaches believe Owumi could be the best wing in NEPSAC from the moment she steps on the floor.
Ella Peper, Bay State Jaguars
Class of 2028, 6-4 guard/forward
Dexter Southfield/Newton, Mass.
It might be a reach to put Peper on a stock-risers list. But it's also probably the last time she'll be eligible, and despite being a top prospect before the spring, her last two months have been monstrous. She debuted at No. 4 on ESPN's 2028 rankings; that's the highest I can ever remember ESPN slotting a New England star. She was a finalist for the U16 national team and nearly made the roster despite playing up a year. The flood of offers isn't new, but it's about the schools offering — like LSU and UCLA, who very rarely recruit in New England. And most importantly, Peper continues to look stronger and more confident as she plays.
Sammi Santacroce, iBelieve Elite
Class of 2027, 5-7 guard
Suffield/North Haven, Conn.
Santacroce scored her two Div. 1 offers in July from Siena and Le Moyne. I think it goes underrated how ridiculous some of her perimeter shotmaking can be. She's comfortable shooting from all sorts of angles off screens or pull-ups and does a great job at centering her balance and making tough buckets. Santacroce is also sneaky-fast and tough to stop driving in a straight line. I love New England's 2027 guard group and would put Santacroce right in the mix with some of the upper-tier stars.
Skyler Walker, Bay State Jaguars
Class of 2026, 5-11 forward
Williston Northampton/Barrington, R.I.
NCAA: Stonehill
Stonehill might've gotten a steal after Walker committed less than two weeks after receiving her first offers from Stonehill and UMass Lowell. She was among the leading breakout names from the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase and is a major riser in my personal eyes. Walker can catch fire behind the arc, attack a driving lane and take physicality in the paint. She's smaller for her position as more of a forward/stretch 5, but I think she'll be a great fit in the Northeast Conference when she gets there.
Eva Wilkerson, Mass Rivals
Class of 2026, 5-9 guard
Sacred Heart/Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.
After missing time last AAU season with injuries, Wilkerson returned to impact form this summer. She averaged 7.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals at the Palmetto Road Championships as a complementary player on Rivals' top 3SSB team. Wilkerson has backed up the defensive prowess that made her our Class A Defensive Player of the Year in the winter, and she's a savvy open-floor playmaker. Wilkerson was also among the biggest winners at the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase, picking up her first three Division 1 offers during the weekend from St. Bonaventure, Towson and UMass Lowell.
