Here’s what you need to know for the 2024-25 high school girls basketball season in the Baltimore area:
Storylines to watch
A shift of balance of power in IAAM A Conference?
Defending champion McDonogh will be without the reigning All-Metro Player of the Year Autumn Fleary, who transferred to Sidwell Friends in Washington. Last season’s runner-up, St. Frances, is poised to win its first title since 2019-20, which capped five straight championships, but St. Vincent Pallotti is also deep and strong. The Eagles, however, will still be a force. Mercy has one of the top players in the area in point guard Milan Brown. In addition, St Mary’s, Roland Park and Spalding will battle for playoff spots.
Tight race in Harford County
There was significant turnover for the teams in Harford County. Edgewood is expected to be competitive and in the hunt for a state title. Patterson Mill also has a talented group of returning players and will battle for the top spot. Fallston was hit hard with graduating seniors, but the Cougars have built a program that is competitive each year.
Howard County up for grabs
Parity also rules in Howard County. Oakland Mills has a strong core of senior players who have jelled well. River Hill will also be tough with Dylan Watson as its leader. Hammond went undefeated last season and has Sara Yarnell back as one of the area’s top players. Howard, Reservoir and Guilford Park could also make a run at the top spot.
Parity in Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel County will be one of the most balanced and competitive leagues this season. South River has a strong cast of returning players and could be the team to beat. Broadneck and Severna Park are perennial contenders and should battle for that top spot. Crofton is also a dark horse to win the title.
It’s a three-team race in Baltimore City
Poly, Forest Park and Western are expected to battle for supremacy in Baltimore City. All three teams also have the talent and depth to compete for regional and state titles. Expect some competitive, hard-nosed basketball throughout the season that will keep the team in Baltimore battle-tested for the playoffs.
Players to watch
Brooke Bolesta, Forest Park, junior, forward
With her strong frontcourt presence, Bolesta will have the Foresters in the hunt for a state title. She averaged 12 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks last season and should be even more dominant this year.
Summer Brooks, Francis Scott Key, senior, guard
Brooks is a solid shooter who averaged 12 points per game last season. She also grabbed 4.8 rebounds and shared the ball well with 4.1 assists per game.
Milan Brown, Mercy, senior, guard
Brown was one of the most dominant players in the area, averaging an astounding 26.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. She had 20 NCAA Division I scholarship offers and is committed to Wake Forest.
Naomi Koldobskiy, Roland Park, sophomore, guard
Koldobskiy wasted little time establishing herself as one of the best players in the area as a freshman. She averaged 14 points per game and made 54 3-pointers en route to being named to the IAAM All-Conference team.
Shelby Lewis, Mount de Sales, senior, forward
The Carnegie Mellon recruit and second-team All-Metro pick averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. She dominates in and around the paint and should be one of the top players in her conference this season.
Rylie Madsen, Patterson Mill, junior, center
Madsen was a force inside, averaging 12.8 points and grabbing eight rebounds per game. She should have Patterson Mill in the hunt for the title in Harford County.
Zoe Osby, St. Frances, junior, center
The dominant center led the Panthers with 389 points last season and was a force inside the paint. She will play a key role in helping St. Frances try to reclaim the IAAM A Conference title.
Dylan Watson, River Hill, senior, guard
Watson is a defensive stalwart who can change the complexion of the game. She is expected to keep the Hawks in the hunt for several titles.
Sara Yarnell, Hammond, senior, forward
The senior is poised to have another huge year after leading Hammond to an undefeated season. She averaged a double-double with 12.9 points and 10 rebounds per game last year and also averaged 2.3 steals.
Sophie Zirkin, Park, senior, guard
The talented shooter scored her 1,000th career point this season and will continue to add to that total as she considers several college offers. Last year, Zirkin averaged 18 points and made 99 3-pointers in 22 games.
Preseason top 15 poll
1. St. Frances
Coach: Jerome Shelton
Last season: 20-9 overall, ranked No. 4
Postseason: IAAM A Conference finalist
Outlook: Dahni Suggs, Sydney Sutton (missed last year with torn ACL) and Mone’t Edwards are the team’s top players. The Panthers expect to win the IAAM A Conference title.
2. McDonogh
Coach: Terri Hall
Last season: 25-4, No. 1
Postseason: IAAM A Conference champion
Outlook: Hall takes over the coaching duties for Brad Rees, who will remain as an assistant, but the Eagles will be without the reigning All-Metro Player of the Year Autumn Fleary, who transferred to Sidwell Friends in Washington. McDonogh still has the talent to repeat as champions with junior guard Ari Benjamin (4.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg), sophomore forward Mya Clark (3.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg), sophomore guard Jada Russell (5.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and transfer Kiri Faimanifo.
3. Poly
Coach: Kendall Peace-Able
Last season: 28-1, No. 3
Postseason: Class 3A state champion
Outlook: The Engineers have reloaded for another title run. Poly has several key returning players, including Brianna Pope, Alia Austin, London Elliott and Skylar Brown.
4. Western
Coach: Tasha Townsend
Last season: 21-5, No. 9
Postseason: Class 4A state semifinalist
Outlook: The Doves have one senior, Jaden Hunt, and will battle for several titles. Western has two returning starters — juniors Paris Knight and Iyanna Bel — along with two junior transfers who are looking to make an immediate impact.
5. South River
Coach: Michael Zivic
Last season: 22-3, No. 7
Postseason: Class 3A East Region finalist
Outlook: The Seahawks could be the team to beat in Anne Arundel County and are poised to make a deep run in the state tournament. They will be led by Frostburg commit Karlee Hawkins (10 ppg, 8 rpg), Ryleigh Adams (12 ppg, 8 rpg), Key West (10 ppg, 5 rpp) and Raegan Ogle (10 ppg, 4 apg and 5 spg).
6. Broadneck
Coach: Juan McKinney
Last season: 20-3, No. 10
Postseason: Class 4A East Region semifinalist
Outlook: The Bruins have experience and talent with senior point guard London Best (10 ppg, 7 spg, 4 rpg), senior shooting guard Macie McNece (16 ppg, 5 apg), 6-2 center Makayla Kropfelder (11 ppg, 10 rpg) and junior forward Brianna Snowden (8 ppg, 7 rpg, 2 bpg). Broadneck has the talent to compete for county, region and state titles.
7. Severna Park
Coach: Kristofer Dean
Last season: 22-3, No. 6
Postseason: Class 3A state quarterfinalist
Outlook: The Falcons, led by seniors Charley Coward and Erin Hussey along with junior Maria Bragg, were edged by Oxon Hill, 49-41, in the state quarterfinals last season. The goal is to build on that success and make a run to the state title game.
8. St. Mary’s
Coach: Leo Latonick
Last season: 20-9, No. 8
Postseason: IAAM A semifinalist
Outlook: The Saints have a talented roster that includes juniors Bailey Harris (9.4 ppg) and Alexandre Vandiver (15.4 ppg). St. Mary’s also added Kendal Williams, a transfer from Gerstell, and could make a deep run in the postseason.
9. Edgewood
Coach: Wes Laguerre
Last season: 18-6, not ranked
Postseason: Class 3A North Region finalist
Outlook: Edgewood has the experience and depth to make a run at the state title. The Rams are led by guard Sam Donovan, who had 333 points and 54 steals last season, guard-forward Jael Erickson (262 points, 116 rebounds) and center Lilly Smeltzer (232 total rebounds, 10.2 rebounds per game).
10. Pikesville
Coach: Mike Dukes
Last season: 23-9, No. 5
Postseason: Class 1A state champion
Outlook: The Panthers will be a force again with Mariah Jones Bey (12 ppg, 6 apg, 3.7 spg) leading the way along with Ka’nai Pyatt (6 ppg). Pikesville will get a boost with transfer Najae Malik, who averaged 11.1 points and 3.7 steals per game last season.
11. Forest Park
Coach: Jermaine Dunn
Last season: 20-3, not ranked
Postseason: Class 1A state semifinalist
Outlook: The Foresters have talented returning players with Jolie Hamilton (senior), India Watson (senior), Mckenzie Fitzgerald (junior) and Arieon Stokes (senior) along with freshman Khloe Stewart. Dunn is confident that Forest Park can make another deep run in the postseason.
12. Fallston
Coach: Johnny Woods
Last season: 20-5, No. 11
Postseason: Class 2A state quarterfinalist
Outlook: The Cougars are primed to build on last year’s success and make an even deeper run in the state playoffs. Fallston is led by senior forwards Natalie Wirth (10 ppg, 10 rpg, 4 apg, 5 spg) and Brooke Bolesta (12 ppg, 12 rpg, 2 bpg) as well as senior guard Jadin Woods (6 ppg, 3 spg).
13. Mercy
Coach: George Panageotou
Last season: 12-13, not ranked
Postseason: IAAM A quarterfinalist
Outlook: The Magic are primed for a deep playoff run with a strong, technically sound roster. Mercy is led by Milan Bown, a Wake Forest commit who averaged 26.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game last season.
14. Hammond
Coach: Ayanna Jones
Last season: 27-0, No. 2
Postseason: Class 2A state champion
Outlook: It’s a rebuilding year after the Golden Bears lost five seniors from last season. However, Sara Yarnell is back in the lineup and will help Hammond try to stay on top in Howard County.
15. Rosedale Christian Academy
Coach: Rob Long
Last season: 25-10, not ranked
Postseason: Mid-Atlantic Independent Athletic Conference champions; invited to Maryland Private School State Tournament
Outlook: Rosedale Christian is one of the area’s up-and-coming programs with a talented returning roster. Kiki Scott averaged 23 points and 10 assists per game last season, while London Harvey, a Longwood recruit, had 15 points and 15 rebounds per game.
Others considered: Howard (16-7), River Hill (17-2), Hereford (19-4), Gerstell (17-7), Mount de Sales (20-5)
Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com and x.com/ToddKarpovich.
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