California Girls Basketball High School Top 25 State Rankings - Dec. 2, 2025

Four-time defending NorCal champion Archbishop Mitty starts at No. 1 as it looks to pick up where it left off before 5-star Iowa signee McKenna Woliczko tore her ACL

Mitty's girls basketball team pose after winning its ninth CCS Open title in 10 years / Photo: Ethan Kassel

The 2025-26 season looks to be like most others in California high school girls basketball.

After all, California is packed with compelling storylines and elite teams – including a handful of national contenders.

With that said, here's a look at who we think are the top 25 teams in the state entering the season.

Any regular season games that have already been played were not factored into the preseason rankings. Updated rankings will be released every week throughout the season starting on Monday.

1. ARCHBISHOP MITTY

Mitty's girls basketball team pose after winning its ninth CCS Open title in 10 years / Photo: Ethan Kassel

After four straight Central Coast Section Open Division titles, NorCal regional titles, and state Open Division title game losses, Mitty now has its best chance of this era to break through for a state (and national) crown – if it can stay healthy.

The Monarchs stormed their way to a 9-0 start and Nike TOC title last season before 5-star F McKenna Woliczko (Iowa) tore her ACL in January after she won National Freshman of the Year and Sophomore of the Year the previous two seasons. At that point, Archbishop Mitty was the consensus No. 1 team in the country. In 2025-26, Woliczko and the entire rest of the rotation have returned to pick up where they left off. Even without Woliczko, the Monarchs truly have a star-studded cast – one that stayed nationally relevant without her: 4-star sophomore P Maliya Hunter, seniors W Devin Cosgriff, Abigail James, and Emma Cook, and junior Gs Ze'Ni Patterson and Tee McCarthy.

2. ONTARIO CHRISTIAN

Sabrina Ionescu poses with Ontario Christian sophomore Kaleena Smith, the game's MVP after she scored 23 points in a 61-44 win over Mitty on Jan. 4 at Carondelet High School in Concord, Calif. / Photo: Dennis Lee

Not only are the Knights the reigning Southern Section Open Division section champions, but they also possess the top returning trio in all of high school basketball:

• 5-star PG Kaleena Smith
• 5-star G/F Tati Griffin
• 4-star G Dani Robinson

Despite Sydney Douglas transferring to Corona Centennial, Ontario Christian has size and talent in the front-court too with 6-foot-0 PF Skylah Archer coming in from Shadow Hills and 6-foot-3 C Layia King over from St. Mary's Academy. Lack of depth appeared to hurt the star-studded Knights down the stretch of the Nike TOC last season, but this year they have at least one serious bench weapon in G Chloe Jenkins, one of the more highly-touted incoming freshmen in the nation.

3. SIERRA CANYON

Sierra Canyon incoming junior Jerzy Robinson (left) averaged 22.5 points and 10.8 rebounds last season for the 31-3 Trailblazers / Photo: Andy Holzman

Not including a loss to an Australian opponent, Sierra Canyon lost just twice last season, and both were competitive playoff losses against Ontario Christian. The Trailblazers appeared to be just a few buckets away from a national title, and this year's group should be a few buckets better than last year's.

Alongisde the multipositional 5-star G/F Jerzy Robinson, Sierra Canyon also returns 4-star senior P Emilia Krstevski (Oregon), senior PF Payton Montgomery, and 4-star sophomore PF Rosie Oladokun. With Krstevski up to 6-5 and the rest of the group all well above six feet, not one team in high school basketball returns so much of both size and talent up front. And the Trailblazers have two monumental additions to complement them in the backcourt – Delaney White (UC Irvine) from Oak Park and Zaire "Cherri" Hatter from Desert Vista, the same Arizona powerhouse that Robinson transferred from.

4. ETIWANDA

Arynn Finley of Etiwanda finished with game-high 21 points in the California (CIF) State Open Division title game at the Golden 1 Center. / Photo by Ralph Thompson

Coming off back-to-back disputed national titles, the top-ranked public school team in high school hoops projects to take something of a step back after graduating three McDonald's All-Americans in two years. And even then, Etiwanda would be on a shortlist of the best teams in the country – and still a threat to reclaim the CIF-SS Open Division throne.

Top returners and 4-star GsArynn Finley(Florida) andChasity Ricelead the way along with Chino transferTess Oldenburg. Oldenburg emerged as one of California's premier sophomores last season and helps the Eagles replenish size at upwards of 6-2 with mobility and versatility on both ends. And the Eagles picked up two more game-changing junior transfers in 6-foot-2 PJaylee Moore, who helped Caruthers win a state title as a freshman, and 5-foot-11 SGSydney Roberson, who made First Team All-Mission League last season at Chaminade. The talent doesn't stop there as 6-foot-2 PFAliyah Phillipsand fellow juniorAndrea Alamo, a six-foot wing, return ready for big junior campaigns. Etiwanda's backcourt might not be as deep as it has been in recent years, but that could change right away if promising freshman GsHailey HendersonandCassidy Morganare ready for big minutes from day one.

5. CORONA CENTENNIAL

Centennial returns one of California's premier talents, 4-star C and 6-foot-4 Kansas signee Cydnee Bryant. But besides that, the Huskies are a totally new-look outfit in 2025-26.

Matt Tumambing, who built Ontario Christian into a national contender, is now at the helm, and the roster has three huge additions. One of them is 6-foot-7 PF Sydney Douglas, who was the second-ranked freshman in the country last season at Ontario Christian. The acquisitions of junior G Armanyie Reed from Bishop Montgomery and sophomore W Talithakoum Poialii-Hunkin from Santiago (Corona) bolster them on the perimeter to give this team national-caliber upside.

6. MATER DEI

Mater Dei sophomore Stella Hoss celebrates the moment during the Monarchs 65-49 win over Windward to take home the championship of the West Coast Jamboree Platinum title Monday at Dublin High School. Hoss, MVP Addie Deal, Amaya Williams, Devyn Kiernan and Kaeli Wynn were each named to the All-Tournament team. / Courtesy photo: Mater Dei high school

Year one of Jody Wynn succeeding Kevin Kiernan at head coach was a tremendous success. And the Monarchs had a real shot to make a run section, state, and national titles if not for an untimely injury to 5-star F Kaeli Wynn. Although McDonald's All-American Addie Deal is off to Iowa, Wynn is back and ready for a massive senior year to anchor a roster without any other huge-name stars but with a slew of talented contributors.

The other clear-cut top contributors to watch are 6-foot senior F Noelle Mulvanny (UCSD), junior G Harmony Golightly, and 6-foot-2 junior F Stella Hoss. Mater Dei's upside will be determined in large part by its slew of X-factors: senior F Ava Kanaly, senior G Amiah Lewis, 6-foot-2 F and Ontario Christian transfer Marissa Bishop, and freshman Gs Legend Tyler and Nelly Strong.

7. SAN RAMON VALLEY

San Ramon Valley returns almost every player following the most dominant season in program history. A season that included the Wolves' first CIF-North Coast Section Open Division crown and playoff revenge wins over two of the only three teams to beat them in the regular season.

Few teams in high school basketball can go guard for guard with San Ramon Valley, which consistently finds a way to endure much larger teams inside. Senior Alyssa Rudd (San Jose State) and junior Ella Gunderson form one of the top returning duos in the state and have serious supporting talent in juniors Carly Stern and Hania Bowes and sophomore Kaitlyn Mills.

8. CLOVIS WEST

Clovis West's team shot after clinching its 20th straight TRAC title with a 67-48 win at Clovis. / Courtesy photo: Clovis West High School athletics

Somewhere down the line, the basketball gods got together and decided that Clovis West never drops more than a few spots no matter how much talent it graduates. Even during years when it's not clear exactly how they'll replace previous focal points – and this is one of those years – the Clovis West rule always gets proven true.

The 13-time (consecutive) reigning Central Section champion is tasked with overcoming the graduations of Alexis Swillis (UNLV), Riley Walls (CSU-MB), Keegan Medeiros (CSU-MB), and Jordyn Ibarra (Fresno Pacific), but it still has a lot of returning talent. Junior PG Ramie Chatman, senior SG Malohni Warren, and senior F Ryleigh Schoonover all had big roles in 2024-25 and are ready for bigger ones. Sophomores Sydney Swillis and McKenna Curry are two of the top breakout candidates

9. FAIRMONT PREP

Despite graduating Maria Mejia (UC Riverside), Fairmont Prep should be even better in 2025-26 following a CIF-SS Open Division selection. While depth could be an issue, the Huskies have one of the most complete and daunting projected starting fives in the section and far beyond.

SG Adyra Rajan (Harvard) is one of California's premier perimeter scorers and PF Sarah Aldeguer marks another returning OC Register First Team All-County pick. PG Lesina Afu makes a third returning senior who averaged double-figures last season. The new additions are huge too: 4-star SF and Westlake transfer Mathis Dritz and blue chip freshman P Aaliyah Mack. With Aldeguer, Mack, and Dritz averaging 6-2 to 6-3 in the frontcourt, this team has the size to hang with anyone in addition to the general talent level.

10. ST. MARY'S-STOCKTON

St. Mary's is favored to get back on top the Sac-Joaquin Section with four of its top five scorers back and a lot of help joining them. Or rejoining them, in the case of 4-star junior G Kori Rogers, who helped lead the Rams to a section title as a freshman before missing all of last season with an injury. Rogers and 6-foot-4 senior PF/C Evelini Smith (Oregon State) form one of the state's very best guard/post combos. And the other three key returners, Mia Jamias, Ava Perez, and Amani Rafiq, all averaged above 7.0 PPG last season and can knock down threes. Lastly, St. Mary's has two freshmen that are expected to be among the team's better players right away in 6-foot-1 W Dylan Horton and G Aynya Hardy.

11. SAGE HILL

Amalia Holguin Sage Hill girls basketball at 2024 Cali Live in Ladera Ranch 6-14-15-2024 by Lance Smith.JPG /

Amalia Holguin and company are ready to run it back after coming a few points a way from a Division I state title. The Lightning return almost their entire rotation with lots of talent and balance to complement the 4-star Texas signee.

Sage Hill's second and third-leading scorers are back after making OC Register all-county honors as just a sophomore and freshman, respectively, in Ws Kamdyn Klamberg and Addison Uphoff. 6-foot-3 F/C Eve Fowler was among the state's premier freshman posts last season and is likely to build on it. And senior F Alyssa Cuff and sophomore PG Leah O'Toner are two more key contributors who are back.

12. OAK PARK

Oak Park is an anomaly in that one of the best players in the program's history, Delaney White, transferred out and there's a new head coach but the team is still widely expected to improve.

The new head coach is former WNBA Dallas Wings coach April McDivitt Schilling, and the team's new biggest-name player is 4-star G Karisma Lewis (UCSB). There are at least two more big-name transfers in tow in PG Maya Urteaga, who averaged 26 PPG as a freshman at Moorpark, and 6-foot-4 P Diana Sorrondo (Southern Utah) from Arroyo Grande. They form a lethal core with W Maya Deshautelle, who was the leading scorer and rebounder last season for the reigning CIF-SS 2AA champion. To top it off, there's serious depth between F Joely Chadwick and Gs Ava Roberson, Khali Mitchell, and freshman Marley Berkow, who already has D-1 offers entering high school. This team's ceiling is high.

13. CARONDELET

Carondelet's basketball team celebrate a 66-65 victory over Salesian at the 27th De La Salle MLK Classic by surprising coach Kelly Sopak with honorary posterboards, balloons and flowers. / Photo: Dennis Lee

The Division I state champion might be ready to pick up where it left off with most of its core back, mostly as seniors and juniors. The bad news is that star senior G Sophia Ross is now at Oak Ridge. G/W Layla Dixon (UC Davis) had an all-state junior year in which she led the Cougars in scoring, assists, and rebounding, and PF Celeste Alvarez was one of the top sophomores in the state last season. F Niylah Christopher emerged as a key player at times down the stretch of last season as just a freshman and an undersized forward. G Phoebe Weaver and Ws Thalia Pham, Olivia Smith, and Janel Nevares are all possible breakout candidates.

14. CLOVIS

In the span of three meetings from Jan. 21 to Mar. 1, the Cougars went from getting crushed 70-29 to rival Clovis West to losing 67-48 to taking Clovis West to overtime in the Central Section title game. Despite graduating Saiya Sidhu, Clovis looks to pose even more of a threat to the Golden Eagles and everyone else.

One of the top true PGs in the state runs the show in senior Sadie Sin (Long Beach State), and she is surrounded by other returning talent headlined by sweet-shooting senior G Yasmin Aguilera plus three impact transfers. Coming in to replace Sidhu is another senior SG with D-1 interest in Milly Rojas from Monache. And Clovis has also added 6-foot-1 PF Gia Souza and 5-11 SF Amieya Walters, both of whom are juniors from San Joaquin Memorial. Between Souza, Walters, and Rojas, an athletic guard/wing who's nearly six feet tall. The returns of Taylor Neal-Larkin, Jaylyn Jasso, Sadie Hinds, and Macayla Sevilla give Clovis one of the deepest and more experienced backcourts in California.

15. MISSION HILLS

Talk about a safe bet – the San Diego Section Open Division champion returns quite literally everybody, starting with junior PG Bay Cordova, who was 0.1 APG from leading Mission Hills in all five base stats. She combined for 29 PPG last season with senior SG HC Harding, one of California's top three-point specialists. They're flanked by G Kalea Bacho, G Kendall Nguyen, PG Maleena Nava, F Izzy Medina, and F Lyndsey Rogers. The x-factors are sophomore F Gianna Giglio and highly-touted freshman W Maya Akesson, both of whom stand upwards of six feet tall.

16. WINDWARD

The Wildcats are in an interesting spot with Amel Cook, the sixth-ranked sophomore in the country, out for the season but no shortage of talent at hand.

With Cook, they'd be a surefire Open Division team and threat to position themselves among the very top group of contenders. Their upside is unclear with her sidelined, but they will still be a force thanks mostly to other underclassmen. That starts with 4-star junior SG Charis Rainey and junior PG Angelina Habis, a Princeton commit and transfer from Chaminade who'll elevate the team substantially after the transfer sit-out period. Even without Cook, Windward has one of California's top sophomore classes led by PG Alexie Wehrle and F Shiloh Johnson.

17. FRANCIS PARKER

Like the reigning CIF-SDS Open Division two spots higher, the reigning runner-up returns just about every key player too. Leading scorer and rebounder Brieana Brown, a junior PF, averaged a double-double last season, and who knows what would've happened in the postseason if she weren't sidelined for most of it. She forms one of the state's top forward duos with sophomore Isabella Riddle. Gs Kaitlyn Raagas, Brianna Mendez, and Gigi Ong are back too. G Peyton Mason and F Riya Khushu were both solid reserves last season who could take leaps in 2025-26.

18. RANCHO CHRISTIAN

With Julia Wilson off to Gonzaga, Bella Cosme off to Utah State, and Hailey Whitman off to Oklahoma Christian, some might rule out the reigning Division 1 champion from again contending at a high level. Not so fast.

The Eagles return second-leading scorer and senior G Ebony Taylor-Smith along with W Alyson Boyd, who was their third-leading scorer and top rebounder. Fs Legacy Benjamin and Cori Benjamin have transferred in from Heritage (Menifee), W Jayla Brown is in tow after a productive freshman year at Temecula Valley, and Naomi Kemle and Amya Guzman are poised for leaps as returning sophomores. Lastly, keep your eyes out for sophomore posts London Creswell and Ala'Saundra Hudspeth, who stand 6-5 and 6-3, respectively.

19. VENTURA

The Cougars went 28-3 last season before falling to eventual champion Rancho Christian in the Division 1 quarterfinals, and they might've had quite a few more wins in store between section and state playoffs had they not run into Rancho Christian as early as they did. While they don't return a large quantity of players, they return one of the highest-quality duos in the section in senior PG Kailee Staniland and junior F Brinley Anderson. Senior G Kaiya Cook marks one more returning key contributor, and Ventura also expects leaps from rising sophomores Sofia Martinez and Emma Anter.

20. MORENO VALLEY

MoVal graduated a couple key players after making the Division 1 semifinals but returns one-two punches in the section in junior F Alaysha Mills and senior G Bella Medina. Senior G Crystal Serrano could give this team a major boost coming in from Etiwanda, and the other X-factor and breakout candidate is mobile 6-foot-3 senior F Hasina Williams.

21. SAINT JOSEPH (LAKEWOOD)

The Jesters fell narrowly in the first round of the CIF-SS 2AA playoffs last year after an excellent regular season, but between their returning stars and big-name transfers, we see them climbing upward. And if everything falls into place, it won't be a climb upward but a vault.

6-foot-2 PG Bella Harmon has been stuffing the stat sheet for so long at the high school level that it's easy to forget she still has a year left. Saint Joseph also returns 17-PPG scorer Ava Washington, a six-foot junior W, and SGs Olivia Martinez and Olivia Molina. There are more potential stars in the backcourt in highly-touted junior transfers Tailele Wily-Ava from Hawaii champion Kahuku and Mia Minshall from Lab University Christian Academy National. Transferring in to bolster the frontcourt is PF Aniya Johnson from Louisville and F Ella Mims from Gahr, who is listed at 6-4.

22. CARDINAL NEWMAN

Time to see what the Cardinals can do without Kate Schat, who had one of the absolute most decorated careers in program history and is now at Santa Clara University. They don't have a clear answer for filling her shoes, but they still have a lot of talent coming back in 2025-26, most of which will be around for another year or two after that.

6-foot-3 PF/C Saundra Jordan was already one of the top posts in NorCal, if not the whole state, as a freshman last year. She's already a behemoth rim protector and rebounder who averaged double-digit points too. If she emerges as a go-to offensive weapon, Cardinal Newman will still put up points in a hurry with plenty of floor-spacing and facilitation around her. Junior PG Macie Flores and G Valor Queen are the team's other top returners. Queen and G Kate Blanchard, another important rotation member, are the team's only seniors. G Averie Vinson and SF Teihana Peleti round out the rotation, and 6-foot-3 sophomore C Olivia Hazlewood-Bush could prove to play a key role as well.

23. OAKLAND TECH

With its top four players coming back, including two seniors who comprise one of the top frontcourts in the country, Oakland Tech is a strong candidate to take a leap as a group. The aforementioned forwards are Jhai Johnson (Vanderbilt) and Terri'A Russell (UNLV), both of whom are in the vicinity of 6-foot-3 and averaged exactly 17.7 PPG last season. Manning the backcourt are juniors Nailah Davis and Payton Henderson. Any new faces emerging would make a big difference as depth could be a struggle.

24. BISHOP MONTGOMERY

After it graduated one of the best senior classes in program history including Jordin Blackmon (Rice) and lost Armanyie Reed to Corona Centennial, Bishop Montgomery is most likely headed for a step backward in 2025-26. But one of the state's most consistent programs and 2024 Division I state champion could take a step back and still compete at a very high level.

One thing that's for sure is that seniors Sophia Dignadice and G'Layah Salazar form one of the top backcourts in the Southland. In the frontcourt is a huge breakout candidate with lots of upside, 6-foot-1 junior F/C Helen Long.

25. BRENTWOOD

Brentwood School shakes hands at the Cali Live girls basketball event in Ladera Ranch (Calif.) on June 14, 2024. / Photo by Lance Smith

With decorated guard Lev Feiman (UCSD) and Payton Sugar (CMS) off to college, Brentwood has graduated pretty much whole core of its dynasty over the last three summers. And there are still five important pieces back in 2025-26 for a program that seems unlikely to fall too far. 6-foot-1 PF/C Logan Scott is the team's lone big-name senior and is one of the top returning interior anchors in California on defense and the glass. As usual, the rest of the squad consists of talented guards who are 5-foot-9 and below, namely Reena White, Jessica Liu, Kelsey Sugar, and Lei Tomatsu.

ON THE BUBBLE:

Valencia (Valencia), Caruthers, St. Ignatius, Pinewood, Piedmont, Esperanza, San Clemente, JSerra, La Jolla Country Day, Villa Park, Priory, La Salle, Archbishop Riordan, Saint Francis (Mountain View), Bishop O'Dowd