Maryland High School Alums in the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

From Bishop McNamara to Elizabeth Seton to Bullis, players with Maryland high school ties will suit up for powerhouse programs and Cinderella hopefuls alike in the 2026 NCAA women's tournament

Bishop McNamara's Vanessa Harris will where her dad's No. 23 when she competes in the Capitals Classic. Greg Harris played for the Capital All-Stars in 1996. | Greg Harris

March Madness is back, and many people will fill out brackets and watch tons of exciting college basketball action for the next few weeks. Not only will the men take the court, but the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament also begins this week.

The Bracket.

🔗 https://t.co/BTd0jTculb
🎟️ https://t.co/uinvwwRlnm
📲 https://t.co/G2KeqiVWZ3#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/B2EL223z0D

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 16, 2026

Maryland is Well Represented in the Big Dance

One U.S. state that is known for having many high school basketball alums represented in the Big Dance is Maryland. This year, 19 players from the Old Line State will suit up for this year's NCAA Women's Tournament.

Nationally-known program Bishop McNamara features the most alums in this year's tournament with five, including Qadence Samuels (NC State), Zhen Craft (Georgia), Vanessa Harris (Rhode Island), Maddy McDaniel (South Carolina), and Gia Cook (West Virginia).

Elizabeth Seton has the second-most former players with three, including Emma Nuquay (Howard), Regina Walton (James Madison), and Alicia Newell (Richmond).

Tied for two alums are Maryland private schools Bullis and Roland Park Country. Riley Nelson (Duke) and Megan Yarnavich (LSU) are former Bulldogs, while Mir McLean (Maryland) and Kelis Fisher (UConn) represented the Reds.

Other Maryland products in the tournament include Olivia Martin (Quince Orchard, Duke), Simone Foreman (St. Andrews Episcopal, Holy Cross), Carmaya Bowman (Manchester Valley, Jacksonville), Saylor Poffenbarger (Middletown, Maryland), Jalyn Brown (St. Frances Academy, Michigan State), Amori Jarrett (Mt. Zion Prep, Rhode Island), and Madison Hall (Good Counsel, Vermont).

Here is a school-by-school list of Maryland players who will appear in the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

Duke

Olivia Martin, Guard - Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg)

Riley Nelson, Guard - Bullis (Potomac)

Georgia

Zhen Craft, Forward - Bishop McNamara (Hyattsville)

Holy Cross

Simone Foreman - St. Andrews Episcopal (Potomac)

Howard

Emma Nuquay, Guard - Elizabeth Seton (Bladensburg)

Jacksonville

Carmaya Bowman, Forward - Manchester Valley (Manchester)

James Madison

Regina Walton, Guard - Elizabeth Seton (Bladensburg)

LSU

Megan Yarnevich, Forward - Bullis (Potomac)

Maryland

Mir McLean, Guard/Forward - Roland Park Country (Baltimore)

Saylor Poffenbarger, Guard - Middletown (Middletown)

Michigan State

Jalyn Brown, Guard - St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)

NC State

Qadence Samuels, Guard - Bishop McNamara (Hyattsville)

Rhode Island

Vanessa Harris, Guard - Bishop McNamara (Hyattsville)

Amori Jarrett, Guard - Mt. Zion Prep (Seabrook)

Richmond

Alicia Newell, Guard - Elizabeth Seton (Bladensburg)

South Carolina

Maddy McDaniel, Guard - Bishop McNamara (Hyattsville)

UConn

Kelis Fisher, Guard - Roland Park Country (Baltimore)

Vermont

Madison Hall, Forward - Good Counsel (Olney)

West Virginia

Gia Cook, Guard - Bishop McNamara (Hyattsville)