Final 4: National 5-star 2026 girls basketball star McKenna Woliczko reveals her college finalists

Two-time High School On SI National Player of the Year narrows field to four teams that won 111 games in 2024-25

McKenna Woliczko and Archbishop Mitty are NIKE Tournament of Champions winners again in 2024. / Photo by Dennis Lee

She was the High School On High School National Freshman and Sophomore of the Year and last season was well on her way to contending for overall National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

But McKenna Woliczko, a 6-foot-2 do-every front-liner from national power Archbishop MItty, went down with a season-ending knee injury Jan. 4 in a showdown with fellow California national power Ontario Christian.

She's well ahead of pace in her rehab and should be stronger, quicker and certainly hungrier than ever by her final prep campaign when the 2025-26 season gets underway.

As always, Woliczko has a clear path and idea of where she's headed.

On Thursday, roughly five months ahead of the opening of her senior year, she announced her college finalists: Iowa, South Carolina, Ohio State and USC.

The final 2025-25 rankings of those squads: South Carolina (#2), USC (#5), Ohio State (#19) and Iowa (HM). Her final 4 are clearly all Final 4 contenders.

🏀 McKenna Woliczko is arguably the best wing in the 2026 class! Yesterday during Mitty’s OT win over Clackamas McKenna had a career high of 38 points and snagged 17 rebounds.

We talked to McKenna post game about the win, relationship with Jazzy and McKenna’s impact she is… pic.twitter.com/i2C8TAXDHM

— High School On SI (@HighSchoolOnSI) December 20, 2024

Clearly, a proximity of home base isn't a big concern to Woliczki, who has led Team USA to a pair of gold medals the last two summers in the FIBA games.

She averaged better than 21 points and 10 rebounds per game as a freshman and sophomore, and was putting up even bigger numbers when her Monarchs were undefeated, coming off a title for the second straight year at the Nike TOC and ranked No. 1 in the country when she tore her left ACL.

She was considered a key cog and an iimpressive involved teammate, mentoring a younger squad the rest of the way, helping the Monarchs win league, section and regional championships before losing in the state Open Division finals for a third straight year, the second time to Etiwanda.

Despite the injury, ESPN HoopGurlz ranks Woliczko the sixth best player in her class, as does 247Sports and on3. She's the daughter of a college softball and men's college basketball player.

At Mitty, she's been mentored and coached by Sue Phillips, who 14 months ago was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Phillips has a sparkling record of 846-143 in 34 seasons.

Archbishop Mitty junior McKenna Woliczko scored a career-high 38 points and hauled in 15 rebounds as the Monarchs outlasted Jazzy Davidson (35 points) and Clackamas (Ore.) 83-77 in overtime during a Nike Tournament of Champions quarterfinal game at Skyline Prep High School in Phoenix (Ariz.). / Courtesy photo: USA Basketball