After two NCAA live periods, it’s time to update and expand the girls’ basketball SC Next player rankings for the 2027 and 2028 classes — and introduce the 2029 group. We now have a clearer picture of how the top prospects in each class stack up entering the summer.
The next few months will provide another important evaluation window. June brings high school competition, camps and international opportunities, including the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in Mexico. In July, prospects will return to the grassroots circuit for two NCAA evaluation periods, while a select group will represent Team USA at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Czechia.
The focus starts up top, with the prospects trying to stake their claim for the No. 1 spot. We have declared the No. 1s in each class, but which prospects are best positioned to challenge them — and how could they actually do it?
See the new rankings:
2027 SC Next 100 | 2028 SC Next 60 | 2029 SC Next 25
2027
Point guard | 5-foot-6 | Ontario Christian (Calif.)
Schools of interest: UConn, USC, UCLA, Notre Dame, Baylor, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Georgia, Miami, Arizona State, Oklahoma
Biggest strength: Her gravity on the floor and consistent scoring prowess.
WNBA comparison: Kelsey Plum, Kelsey Mitchell
Why she’s the clear No. 1: Smith has won at every level in high school and consistently produced, despite carrying the expectations that come with ranking No. 1 the entire time. She’s a masterful technician and unflappable against so many defensive schemes because of her ability to read defenses and map the floor. She led Ontario Christian to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Open Division championship while averaging 31.5 points and 6.9 assists on 54% shooting from the field, including 38% from 3-point range. She also starred during the first Adidas 3SSB session of this season, averaging 24 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
The challengers
Wing | 6-2 | Bullis School (Md.)
Schools of interest: Maryland, South Carolina, UConn, UCLA, LSU
Biggest strength: Her power and athleticism, and her ability to affect the game defensively.
WNBA comparison: Tamika Catchings, Natasha Howard
Why she could challenge for No. 1: Manyacka has tremendous upside. Her offense has made noticeable strides, particularly her handle and perimeter shooting, and her physical tools and versatility remain elite. She led Bullis to the Chipotle Nationals final after navigating one of the nation’s toughest schedules, then earned her third consecutive USA Basketball Junior National Team selection. Her combination of production, physical gifts and professional projection makes her a legitimate challenger for the top spot — especially considering there’s still room for her to further leverage her strength and explosiveness as a downhill scorer, cutter and disruptive defender.
Post | 6-5 | Oak Grove (La.)
Committed to: LSU
Biggest strength: She is a true post player who has skill away from the rim.
WNBA comparison: Aliyah Boston, Tina Charles
Why she could challenge for No. 1: Bradley’s mix of strength and skill makes her the best post in the country. The first five-star to commit, she has also become a more consistent 3-point shooter while improving her mobility. She will be a foundational member of the U17 World Championship squad in July. She made an immense impact at USA Basketball’s national trials in May, showing outstanding leadership, force around the rim, face-up touch and a relentless defensive motor. If she strings more performances like that together, she’ll be a strong challenger for the top spot.
2028
Guard | 6-0 | Mater Dei (Calif.)
Schools of interest: Duke, LSU, Texas, UCLA, South Carolina and others
Biggest strength: Her physicality on the perimeter and overall versatility.
WNBA comparison: Allisha Gray, Kayla McBride
Why she’s the clear No. 1: Griffin’s blend of grace and power is unmatched. She can initiate offense as a primary playmaker or shift seamlessly into a primary scoring role. It’s why she’s being recruited by virtually every major program. She averaged 21.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 39% from 3 this past high school season at Ontario Christian and has also produced against elite competition on the Nike EYBL circuit. Now at Mater Dei for her junior year, she could further widen the gap to her challengers by showing a bit more physicality defensively and movement off the ball.
The challengers
Guard | 6-0 | Marshall (Minn.)
Schools of interest: Baylor, UConn, USC, Duke, Iowa, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Maryland, Notre Dame
Biggest strength: Physical stature as a guard and overall understanding of the game.
WNBA comparison: Gabriela Jaquez, Kia Nurse
Why she could challenge for No. 1: Johnson excels at finishing at the rim and has a great pull-up jumper. Her size, instincts and floor vision are effective at point guard, but she’s also comfortable in a primary perimeter scoring role — and she can defend either position. She averaged 31.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and five assists on 61.6% shooting from the field during her high school freshman season, including going 36.9% from 3. Through two EYBL sessions this spring, she has averaged 14.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists. To elevate to No. 1, she needs to refine her shooting decisions, off-ball playmaking defensively and rebounding.
Post | 6-5 | Centennial (Calif.)
Schools of interest: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Oklahoma, Cal, Duke, Kentucky, UConn, Notre Dame, Stanford, South Carolina, LSU, Michigan State, UCLA, USC, Baylor, Maryland, Arizona State, North Carolina, among others
Biggest strength: Fundamental all-around skill at her size.
WNBA comparison: Azura Stevens, Jonquel Jones
Why she could challenge for No. 1: Smooth and skilled, Douglas has a forward’s game with post size. She has natural shooting touch and is automatic from the free throw line, with enough range to extend beyond the arc. She averaged 19.1 points and 9.9 rebounds this past high school season. Douglas also has a CIF Division I state title and experience as an understudy on last year’s USA Basketball U19 Women’s World Cup team. If she can use that experience to her advantage and rev up her motor, rebounding and overall defensive intensity, she could keep rising. Being named to the U.S. roster for the FIBA U18 AmeriCup is a first step to doing that.
Forward | 6-2 | La Follette (Wis.)
Schools of interest: Michigan, Arizona, Michigan State, Kentucky, Ohio State, TCU, Louisville, UCLA, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Arizona State, among others
Biggest strength: Overall versatility and outright physical potential.
WNBA comparison: Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike
Why she could challenge for No. 1: Riak’s game has taken off over the past six months, and she solidified her status as a stock riser (going from No. 14 entering high school to No. 4) at the USA team trials. Riak uses a deep array of post moves to score in the paint, and she has a soft touch and high release from deep. She’s starting to see the floor well and assert herself defensively, as well. She has exceptional future potential and, if she stays on this trajectory, could keep rising up the rankings.
2029
Guard | 6-0 | Hoover (Ala.)
Schools of interest: Missouri, Alabama, North Carolina, Rutgers, Indiana, Auburn, SMU, Georgia, Arizona State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Maryland, Texas Tech, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan State, among others
Biggest strength: Her maturity. She can play with or without the ball, and she’s a committed defender.
WNBA comparison: Ariel Atkins, Sonia Citron
Why she’s the clear No. 1: Winston has separated herself convincingly this spring, both in her class and against older competition. In her EYBL 17U debut, she averaged 19 points, 3.4 rebounds, three assists and nearly three steals while shooting 53% from the field, 52.6% from 3 and 79% from the free throw line. Her game is remarkably polished for her age, with no obvious weakness. She competes with an edge defensively, embraces tough matchups and possesses the size and length that project well long term. She has also already won a state championship as a freshman.
The challengers
Guard | 6-4 | Ontario Christian (Calif.)
Schools of interest: Tennessee, Florida, Baylor, USC, Michigan, West Virginia, North Carolina, among others
Biggest strength: She may be the best offensive rebounding guard in the country.
WNBA comparison: Gabby Williams, Jackie Young
Why she could challenge for No. 1: Jenkins knows how to use her size to her advantage and is well-rounded, especially defensively. She changes direction well and uses deceleration to her advantage going to the rim. Jenkins was part of the Ontario Christian squad that won the CIF Open Division championship and was named the nation’s No. 1 high school team in the country last season.
Guard | 5-11 | Campo Verde (Ariz.)
Schools of interest: Arizona, Arizona State, Louisville, Alabama, SMU, Rutgers, Arkansas, UNLV, Cal, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Florida, Michigan, among others
Biggest strength: Savviness and production on the floor beyond her years.
WNBA comparison: Natasha Cloud, Jade Melbourne
Why she could challenge for No. 1: Bogan-Jacobs has been one of the most impressive freshmen competing at the EYBL 17U level this spring. Through two sessions, she’s averaging 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists, while serving as the primary offensive engine for her team. Her poise also keeps her from getting sped up. Bogan-Jacobs knows how to use her frame and leverage to finish at the rim. She reads the floor well, takes quality shots and gets to the line plenty, though she’ll need to convert free throws at a higher clip.
