20 Players to Watch at Prestigious POA Holiday Classic Girls Basketball Tournament

5-star forward Oliviyah Edwards of Lincoln (WA) highlights the star-studded field participating in the Portland, Oregon, tournament

Five-star 2026 girls basketball prospect Oliviyah Edwards and the Lincoln of Tacoma Abes will participate in this year's POA Holiday Classic in Portland. / Photo by Todd Milles

The POA Holiday Classic tips off Saturday morning at five sites scattered throughout Portland   featuring some of the top girls basketball teams along the West Coast.

High School On SI will have all the scores from each day’s action, and here are 20 players to watch who’ll provide plenty of excitement throughout the tournament.

Mayenabasi Akpan, South Medford, senior

Akpan broke the Oregon Class 6A tournament record for rebounds held by Cameron Brink to help the Panthers win the title two years ago, and the San Diego State signee was the Southwest Conference player of the year as a junior.

Love Lei Best, Tualatin, sophomore

Best could go down as Oregon’s best point guard by the time her career is done. Her opening act? Leading the Timberwolves to the 6A state title last year, averaging 15.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.9 steals as a first-team all-state selection.

Olivia Collins, Sumner, senior

The 5-foot-9 combo guard fills the stat sheet for the Spartans, winning Tacoma News Tribune All-Area player of the year in leading them to the Washington 4A final last year while averaging 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

Oliviyah Edwards, Lincoln (Tacoma), senior

A consensus top-five recruit (ESPN, On3, 247Sports) in the Class of 2026 and University of Tennessee signee returned to the Abes this year after two seasons with Elite Prep. Lincoln is a late addition to the POA after Bellevue dropped out.

Arynn Finley, Etiwanda, senior

The 4-star University of Florida signee scored 21 points in the Eagles’ victory over Archbishop Mitty in last year’s California Open Division state final and averaged 20.8 points per game as tournament MVP at the Battle of the Beach in Redondo last month.

Arynn Finley of Etiwanda / Photo by Ralph Thompson

Love Forde, Nelson, junior

Forde has been an interior menace for the Hawks during her first two seasons for the Hawks, averaging 18 points and seven rebounds as a sophomore.

Ceanna Forney, Jesuit, sophomore

The 6-5 post was Metro League defensive player of the year as a freshman, averaging nine points, seven boards and five blocks for the Crusaders.

Amayah Garcia, Faith Family, senior

The 4-star combo guard nicknamed “Sunshine” will return to the Northwest for college after signing with the University of Washington

Kiara Green, Century, senior

The University of Howard signee helped the Jaguars make a 15-win improvement last year after transferring from nearby Hillsboro, averaging 16.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.

Kiara Green of Century / René Ferrán

Brooklynn Haywood, Union, senior

The 4-star combo guard and University of Oregon signee moved from Anchorage, Alaska, while in middle school and developed into one of Washington’s top scorers, scoring a state-leading 31.4 points per game and shooting 40% from deep as a junior while averaging seven rebounds, five assists and three assists.

Amaliah Holguin, Sage Hill, senior

Holguin was once the youngest player on Kobe Bryant’s youth basketball team, and now she is a 4-star shooting guard and University of Texas signee who averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals as a junior.

Cheyenne Hull, Davis, junior

It’s hard to believe that the Pirates were ever the doormat of Eastern Washington basketball, but with the reigning Washington 4A player of the year leading the way with 26 points and eight rebounds in the final, they won the school’s first girls basketball championship.

Cheyenne Hull of Davis / Photo by Todd Milles

Reese Jordan, West Linn, senior

The Washington State signee won Three Rivers League player of the year honors last year, averaging 15.8 points, six rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.3 steals.

Jayla Lackey, Benson, sophomore

The 6-2 post earned first-team all-PIL honors as a freshman and was invited by USA Basketball to participate in the 2025 Women’s U16 National Team trials.

Sara Mangan, Southridge, senior

Last year’s Metro League player of the year averaged 17.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists and signed last month with the University of Portland.

Sara Mangan of Southridge / Dan Brood

Amy Nduka, Eastside Catholic, sophomore

Nduka showed during last year’s Washington 3A state tournament why she was one of the state’s most promising class of 2028 recruits.

Chasity Rice, Etiwanda, junior

The 4-star point guard recruit transferred from Mater Dei after her freshman season and helped the Eagles win their third consecutive CIF Open title.

Ashley Uusitalo, Lake Washington, senior

The Kangaroos point guard was last year’s KingCo 4A player of the year, averaging 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. She will head to Oregon State next year.

Kaeli Wynn, Mater Dei, senior

The 4-star power forward signed with the University of South Carolina after a junior season that saw the 6-2 standout average 17 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

Kaeli Wynn (35) of Mater Dei / Photo: Harold Abend/Cal-Hi Sports/Prep2Prep

Emma Zuniga, West Salem, senior

The two-time Central Valley Conference player of the year signed with Portland State after averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists as a junior.