City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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With the state playoffs starting this weekend, we wanted to take a look at some of the area stars who could be in for a couple big weeks ahead. 

We’ve already shared the names of some of the biggest girls’ stars in the various brackets; here are a few other future or rising standouts that maybe aren’t big names — yet. 

6A

Haylie Adamski + Kylie Mulholland (2025s | Garnet Valley)
The Jaguars have a tough draw in the first round, having to travel to unbeaten District 3 champs Cedar Cliff in the first round, so their stay in the state bracket might be brief. But if anybody’s going to power GV to an upset it’s these two sophomores, who have the future looking bright in Delco. Adamski is a gunner with good size at 6-0, and she’s got great range on her jumper; Mulholland is the opposite, a 5-4 point guard who can get into the lane and score around the bucket, though she’s also a capable jump-shooter from the perimeter. 

Rian Dotsey (2025 | Haverford High)
The younger sister of Haverford’s senior standout and Maine commit Caroline Dotsey, Rian is a summer away from moving into a true starring role for the Fords, though there are already plenty of games where she’ll take over. The 5-11 wing can do a little bit of everything and keeps getting better, whether that’s her handle, shot, defensive abilities, and more. Dotsey excels at producing without needing plays called for her, getting plenty of second-chance buckets and shots within the flow of the offense.

Alexis Eberz (2026 | Archbishop Carroll)
If the last name sounds familiar, Eberz is the daughter of two former Villanova standouts, and she’s clearly following the family legacy on the court. The 5-9 guard clearly has a bright future ahead of her, even if she’s not needed to lead the Patriots, who have a number of upperclassmen to lean on. Eberz is a good dribble-drive creator who also is a solid outside shooter, and she’s been gaining in confidence and assertiveness on the court as the season’s gone on. 

Marisa Francione (2024 | Conestoga)
The Pioneers (21-6) don’t have a senior in the rotation, so it’s on Francione to lead the way, and the 5-8 guard does just that. Conestoga is a defensive-minded squad, but Francione gives them a jolt of offense, a knockdown shooter with a number of spots she prefers on the court, including in the mid-range, and she’s not afraid to put her head down and get to the bucket, either. Defensively, she likes playing at the point of attack and can really make it tough for opposing guards to get into the lane.

Maya Johnson (2025 | Abington)
Abington has a fun group of guards, all 5-7 and under, including senior Abril Bowser, who also could be on this list. But Johnson will be the face of the program the next couple years, the 5-3 guard one of the best ball-handlers in the area, and she’s tough to stop in the open court or working off screens, her low center of gravity giving her an edge turning the corner, with all kinds of finishing abilities. And just like the rest of the Ghosts, if you leave her alone on the perimeter, she’ll bury the shot.

Amy Ngo + Megan Ngo (2024 | 2026 | Upper Dublin)
The Ngo sisters only have about half a season together so far, Amy making her return from a major knee injury back in January, but she’s already had some big-time games as she shakes off the rust and gets back to form. Megan, a 5-3 guard, has been one of two standout freshmen on the Cardinals along with 5-11 forward Colleen Besachio, both of them earning second team All-SOL Liberty honors; she’s a great outside shooter who can use a nifty floater if she gets into the lane. Amy, a few inches taller at 5-6, is also a great jump-shooter, and she knows how to use her body to protect the ball and get off shots.

Joanie Quinn (2024 | Cardinal O’Hara)
Quinn’s had a breakthrough junior year for the Lions, and that was rewarded with her first Division I offer, from La Salle, last month. The 5-8 guard is a strong shooter and overall scorer, but it’s her general poise on the court that stands out: she doesn’t get fazed under pressure, doesn’t turn the ball over, can dribble out of trouble and settle O’Hara down, and always tends to hit the big shot when her team needs it. 

Sofia Vitucci (2024 | Pennsbury)
Even after the graduation of Ava Sciolla (Maryland), Pennsbury stayed plenty competitive this year, with Vitucci playing a big role in getting them to another 20-win season. The first team All-SOL Patriot selection is a 5-6 guard with a scorers’ mentality, hitting pull-up 3’s from all over the court like it’s nothing, and she’s a great on-ball defender as well. 

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5A

Bailey Balkir + Emilia Coleman (2026s | Gwynedd Mercy)
Gwynedd Mercy is in good hands with these two freshmen. Coleman, whose older sisters are just finishing up freshman years at Kutztown (Sofia) and Navy (Bianca), is a 5-10 wing with a scorer’s touch, though she’s still finding her assertiveness. Balkir is a 5-8 guard with a great handle and ability to create her own shot, and she’ll assume primary ball-handling duties with Hannah Griffin graduating. Look for these two to make noise in the state tournament in the next few years.

Alyssa Brown + Sami Blumenthal (2023 | 2024 | Bishop Shanahan)
Shanahan’s duo of All-Ches-Mont League first teamers lead the district semifinalists into the state playoffs once again. Both are experienced and bring different things to a deep Eagles deep. Brown’s a 5-7 sharpshooter who demands the attention of defense. Blumenthal, the junior, is a versatile 5-10 wing/forward who helps an undersized Shanahan squad compete down low or stretch the defense when needed. 

Delaney Finnegan + Kara Meredith (2023s | Archbishop Wood)
Wood coach Mike McDonald has a lot of length to work with on the wings, and it starts with these two. Finnegan (5-11) and Meredith (6-0) are a major reason the Vikings are a defensive menace, disrupting opposing offenses all over the court with their ability to deny dribble penetration, get in passing lanes, bother posts, and more. Meredith, a Holy Family commit, is also a terrific 3-point shooter, knocking down four in a row in the PCL championship game; Finnegan is the team’s best on-ball defender and at her best offensively around the bucket.

Holly Gohl + EmmyFaith Wood (2024 | 2023 | Upper Moreland)
The Golden Bears placed five on the All-SOL Freedom teams: these two on the first team, Allison LaRocco on the second team and Mikel Lanit and Alyssa Wiley as honorable mentions, more than any other team in their division. Getting Wood, a 1,000-point scorer, back from injury is key, as she and Gohl form a talented 1-2 scoring punch that could certainly lead Upper Moreland at least a couple rounds deep into March, in their first time in the state bracket in more than 20 years. Gohl, a 5-9 wing, has a great pull-up jumper in the mid-range and finishes well around the bucket with her right hand; Wood, a 5-8 guard, is an excellent shooter who can get to the rim off the bounce.

Elaina Guerzon + Marah McHugh (2023s | Villa Maria)
Villa’s made it to the last two District 1 5A championship games; Guerzon and McHugh won the title as juniors and finished as runner-ups as seniors, though they did help the Hurricanes snap an 11-year AACA drought. McHugh is a 5-11 wing forward and Gettysburg commit, a great mid-range jump-shooter who’s become really good at attacking close-outs and getting to the rim, and she’s a solid rebounder as well. Guerzon is a 5-4 lead guard with a floater she’ll put up from anywhere out to 15 feet, and she’s a confident 3-point shooter on the catch as well. 

Lauren Hoffman (2023 | Mount St. Joseph)
The Magic have a number of scoring options, whether it’s senior forward Georgia Pickett or point guard Kirsten Pumilia, both of whom have had their turns leading MSJ in scoring this year. Hoffman, a 5-9 left-hand guard, can fill it up in a hurry, with a quick release on her shot that she’s not afraid to release in pull-up or catch and shoot situations, and she knows how to work off screens to get free on the perimeter. 

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1A - 4A

Ciana Blake + Jalyn Moore (2026s | West Catholic)
West Catholic’s youth movement is taking over the program, and this pair is a big part of that. Blake, a speedy 5-5 lead guard is excellent in the open court, where it’s tough for anybody to stay in front of her as she goes end-to-end, and she knows how to use that in the half-court, working off screens and getting to the rack. Moore, a 5-8 forward, gives them an interior presence on both ends, with a high-running motor that helps her get her hands on a lot of rebounds and put-back opportunities. 

Olivia Boccella + Sanyiah Littlejohn (2024 | 2025 | Lansdale Catholic)
It’s hard to think of Boccella as ‘under the radar’ given the fact that she hits arguably the biggest shot of the local hoops season in the Catholic League title game, however, she and Littlejohn often let seniors Gabby Casey and Jaida Helm steal the show. Boccella is a lethal shooter with well-displayed range. Littlejohn has developed into a player who can shoulder the offense at times. If the Crusaders make their desired run to the state title game, Boccella and Littlejohn will likely have had their moments to shine during the run.

Reagan Chrencik (2023 | New Hope-Solebury)
The Lions have punched above their weight class all season as a 3A squad facing off against mostly 5A and 6A teams in the SOL part of their schedule. Chrencik, a Gettysburg recruit, and the senior leader on a young team helped lead the team to her first PIAA appearance. The 5-11 guard can score it from all over the court and it will be exciting how far she can help her team go in her first state run.

Carryn Easley + Amya Scott (2025s | Neumann-Goretti)
The reigning Class 3A champs have a pair of young faces leading the show this season in Easely and Scott. The pair of speedy guards can blow by defenders, go around them or knock down shots from deep. They’ll push the pace up-and-down the floor and typically finish when they get to the hoop whether there’s a defender there or not. It’ll be fun to see if they can find some magic for the Saints as they make the jump to 4A this season.