Louisiana High School Girls Basketball Preseason Top 25 State Rankings

Vandebilt Catholic begins the season in the top spot; other defending state champions Southern Lab, Lafayette Christian, Wossman and Simpson round out top five

Kaliyah Samuels of Lafayette Christian / Scott Clause / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Girls high school basketball has already tipped off in Louisiana for the non-football playing classes (B & C). The rest of the state will get officially started on November 17.

Here are our preseason top 25 rankings for the 2025-26 season.

1. Vandebilt Catholic

Last season: 19-7 (No. 6 in final Top 25)

Although the Division II select champions graduated five seniors, including the Charles sisters, Journee Johnson and Tyanna Stewart are a formidable tandem who combined for 19 points in the finals vs. Madison Prep. Johnson is a 6-foot-0 star who commands double teams. In December, the 5-foot-9 Stewart was ranked as the No. 10 player in Louisiana by Prep Girls Hoops.

2. Southern Lab

Last season: 22-5 (No. 5 in final Top 25)

Shaila Forman was the only senior to graduate for the Kittens, who have a new coach (Krystal Flowers) but almost all of their roster returning, led by senior point guard Asia Patin. The 5-foot-7 Patin has helped the Baton Rouge school to consecutive state titles in Division IV select and is an early McNeese State signee. Jamya Cain and Kori Wesley, a defensive ace, are also back.

3. Lafayette Christian

Last season: 29-5 (No. 2 in final Top 25)

Coach Errol Rogers' Knights are going for a sixth straight state championship. Five seniors departed, but leading scorer Kaliyah Samuels (16 ppg, 10 rpg) returns with underclassmen Shanna Simien and Paityn Dean. Taelyn Taylor and Lehlani Hudson left a void when they graduated.

4. Wossman

Last season: 28-3 (No. 3 in final Top 25)

Division II nonselect has been owned by the Wildcats, who won their fourth consecutive state title and graduated five seniors. Taylar Wright, Ashanti Smith and 6-foot-0 Heaven Weeks are key returning players. Ramiah Augurson and Anyra Wilson are top players who graduated.

5. Simpson

Last season: 41-2 (No. 8 in final Top 25)

No one graduated from the Class C champs, who lit up scoreboards in traditional small school southwest Louisiana fashion. Olivia Edwards and Dakota Miller combined for 41 points and 23 rebounds in a rout of Summerfield in the title game. Ashlyn Allain and Hallie Rollins both averaged in double figures.

6. John Curtis Christian

Last season: 18-5 (No. 15 in final Top 25)

The boys and girls basketball programs are both thriving at Curtis, which reached the state tournament in both last season. Janiyah Williams, Bailey Timmons and Jayla Albert are returning standouts. The Patriots have been to nine straight semifinals and have sent 18 signees to college in 21 years.

John Curtis Girls Basketball Facebook

7. Huntington

Last season: 20-6 (No. 4 in final Top 25)

Carley Hamilton, who scored 27 points in the championship win over Woodlawn-BR, signed with Southern Miss, but coach Brian Shyne has dynamic guard Kyndal Graham and 6-foot-2 post Kaylie Dupree back. Kendal Stevenson and Ja'Kiyah Redmen are prominent returning players. Graham averaged a second-best 14.5 points per game. Dupree led in shooting percentage (54%).

8. Zachary

Last season: 26-4 (No. 1 in final Top 25)

For the first time in Louisiana High School on SI's rankings, a program other than Lafayette Christian finished at No. 1 in the final top 25. That was Zachary, which will miss Tiarra McPipe (and other seniors from the Division I nonselect state champion team), but Ava Raymond is a superstar, and 6-foot-0 Asia Bell is ready to make her mark with a breakout season. Kennedi Whitfield is another name to remember.

9. Haughton

Last season: 28-5 (No. 18 in final Top 25)

The Buccaneers only graduated Kamyra Turner. Senior post Shaniya Perkins, the Louisiana High School on SI Class 5A Player of the Year, is a 6-foot-3 standout who scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss to district rival Parkway in the Division I nonselect semifinals. Skylar Branch, Bella Hammons and Trinity Smith-Compton are returning starters. (Note: Perkins transferred out-of-state for her senior season.)

10. Bell City

Last season: 25-4 (No. 17 in final Top 25)

Peyton Herpin is back after scoring 46 points at the Class B state tournament, where the Bruins finished as runner-up to Fairview. Caroline Guillory and Klancie Hebert scored in double figures in the semifinal win over Oak Hill. Two seniors graduated.

11. Oak Grove

Last season: 21-3 (No. 20 in final top 25)

6-foot-5 Caroline Bradley, the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year, will be a junior. She scored 38 points in the 48-43 loss to Oakdale in the Division IV finals. Emiliee Johnson, who scored three points in the finals, is also back. Bradley is the No. 5 player in the nation (247Sports).

12. Fairview

Last season: 37-6 (No. 9 in final Top 25)

Legendary coach Kyle Jinks graduated two seniors, including daughter Reesie Jinks, but Avery Williams and Andi Turner return in a quest to win a repeat Class B title. The school has won 16 championships.

13. Cedar Creek

Last season: 29-4 (No. 16 in final Top 25)

The top three scorers are back from last year's team that was runner-up to Southern Lab, including 6-foot-2 Avery Ryan and Taylor Martinez.

14. Arcadia

Last season: 28-5 (No. 19 in final Top 25)

6-footer DeAsia Alexander leads a team that finished as Division IV nonselect runner-up to Lakeview. The Hornets only graduated one senior. Alexander posted a double-double in the semifinals vs. White Castle with seven blocked shots.

15. Parkview Baptist

Last season: 21-7 (No. 24 in final Top 25)

The Eagles, who were runner-up in Division II select to Vandebilt Catholic, may be ranked too low here. Not only are the top three scorers back in Anna Richerson, Ella LaFors and Ainsley Bernhard, PBS was expected to add E'Myrie Warren, a spectacular 2030 prospect who transferred from Family Christian.

16. Walker

Last season: 32-3 (No. 14 in final Top 25)

Bobby Armstrong was hired to replace Korey Arnold, who moved to Acadiiana High (a team we'll be watching closely) after bringing the Wildcats to multiple consecutive state tourney appearances. Kadyn Green and Logan Cookmeyer are returning starters.

17. Edna Karr

Last season: 29-5 (No. 13 in final Top 25)

Expect new coach Chris Price, who came over to his alma mater after a highly successful stint as an assistant at Walker, to have the Cougars climbing the rankings. Cass Antoine and Azelyah Henderson are returning starters. 6-foot-4 Sanaa Bean graduated.

18. Woodlawn-BR

Last season: 26-7 (No. 10 in final Top 25)

Aaliyah Gaddis was a star at the state tournament for the Panthers, who beat Karr and lost to Huntington. Mariah Scott also is back.

19. Slidell

Last season: 24-7

The Tigers, who defeated John Curtis in a preseason game, return their top three scorers, as well as exciting young player Madyson Parker.

20. Parkway

Last season: 27-3 (No. 7 in final Top 25)

Kha Wilson and Zara Baker, who was third in scoring behind seniors Savannah Wilson and Dakota Howard, are back for new head coach Brittney Dukes.

21. J.S. Clark

Last season: 27-10 (not ranked)

The Bulldogs graduated only two seniors and welcome back lightning-quick guard Taylor Barnaba from a team that reached the Division IV select semifinals (lost to Cedar Creek, 47-44.)

22. Madison Prep

Last season: 20-13 (No. 21 in final Top 25)

The Chargers, who nearly erased 14-point deficit, finished as runner-up to Vandebilt Catholic in Division II select. Paige Hawkins, the leading scorer in the finals, graduated but double-digit producers Auri Ray and Brooklyn Smith are back as Madison Prep, which opens the season tonight vs. John Curtis, tries to reach the championship for a third straight year.

23. Albany

Last season: 24-12 (No. 23 in final Top 25)

The Hornets graduated only two seniors and bring back top scorer Ellie Johnson (12 ppg) after a runner-up finish in Division II to Wessman.

24. French Settlement

Last season: 24-10 (not ranked)

Stella Allison and Malloy Miles - both also star softball players - will be counted on for big things.

25. University Lab

Last season: 22-4 (No. 25 in final top 25)

Kennedy Aldridge (18 ppg) returns from a state tourney team.

On the Bubble: Mandeville, Natchitoches-Central Iowa, Anacoco, Denham Springs, Midland, Negreet, Terrebonne, West Monroe, Oakdale, Westlake, Lakeview, Academy of Sacred Heart-NO, White Castle, Westlake, Summerfield, Plainview, E.D. White,

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App

More Louisiana High School Sports News

feed