Here are The Dallas Morning News’ high school girls basketball teams to watch and preseason rankings of the top teams in the Dallas area for the 2024-25 season. Find players to watch and the preseason all-area team here.
Preseason area rankings
Note: Oak Cliff Faith Family was not included after being banned from the playoffs by the UIL, which was announced Oct. 30. Legion Prep Academy was not included because the online school isn’t part of the UIL, TAPPS or SPC.
Class 6A
1. Duncanville: Duncanville is the defending Class 6A state champion, and its 12 state titles are third-most in UIL history. The No. 1 team in the TABC preseason 6A state rankings returns Samari Holmen, a 5-8 sophomore guard who averaged 8 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Senior guard Laila Coleman, who averaged 9 points and shot 39% from 3-point range, is committed to Old Dominion. Senior guard Jasmine Gipson is committed to Florida Gulf Coast, and senior guard/forward Trystan James is committed to UNLV. Duncanville lost all-state selections Mariah Clayton and Cincinnati signee Chloe Mann to graduation from last season’s 35-4 state title team. Kaylinn Kemp, who started in Duncanville’s 59-41 win over South Grand Prairie in last season’s state championship game and was a second-team all-area selection in 2023, transferred to Lancaster.
2. South Grand Prairie: Last season’s 6A state runner-up returns the Dallas area’s top recruit in the Class of 2025, four-star Cal pledge Taylor Barnes. The 6-0 senior guard/forward, the state’s sixth-ranked recruit, averaged 14 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 steals for a 33-4 team, and she was a first-team all-area selection and an all-state pick. SGP has five returning seniors, and point guard Autumn Sherman and shooting guard Camille Mitchell are back after starting in last season’s state championship game as SGP earned its second state runner-up finish in three years. Cedraiah Peterson had some big playoff games, Spirit Sheriff started several games, and sophomore Payton Garrett is expected to make a major impact for a team that’s No. 4 in the preseason state rankings.
3. Cedar Hill: The state’s ninth-ranked team has a remarkable streak going, having reached at least the third round of the playoffs 10 years in a row. Cedar Hill was a regional finalist in 2020 and 2023. Cedar Hill doesn’t have anyone committed to a college yet, but coach Nicole Collins thinks that Brooklyn King, Aaliyah Taylor, Makiyah Risby, Rylan Jones and Trinity Thomas will play college basketball. Taylor was a TGCA all-state pick at Lake Highlands last season before transferring to Cedar Hill. Thomas was the District 11-6A co-defensive player of the year, and King was a first-team all-district pick.
4. DeSoto: Jeffery Chatman is the new head coach of a program that reached the Class 6A state championship game four times in a five-year span from 2019 to 2023 and won back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022. He compiled a record of 277-63 in 10 seasons at Cibolo Steele and has a career record of 342-117. Guard Jaela Spencer is back from last season’s 27-6 team that reached the Class 6A Region II final, and guard Nyla Jennings is expected to make an impact after moving up from the JV. Ava Womack (Red Oak) and Angel Lynch (Skyline) are transfers who should be key contributors. DeSoto lost four players who are ranked among the top 50 players in the nation in the Class of 2026: five-star forward Amari Byles and four-star combo guard Amayah “Sunshine” Garcia transferred to Oak Cliff Faith Family; and four-star forward Kamora Pruitt and four-star point guard Rieyan DeSouze left to go to Legion Prep Academy.
5. Denton Braswell: Braswell finished 28-7 last season after nearly beating Class 6A state runner-up South Grand Prairie in the second round of the playoffs. Center Amaya McDonald was a third-team all-area pick and was an all-region selection after averaging 11.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. The 6-1 junior has announced multiple Division I offers, including Temple, Wichita State and Southern Mississippi. Guard/small forward Makayla Vation averaged 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. Ytaly Lewis was first-team all-district, as was Vation.
6. Plano East: Arianna Robinson is a five-star freshman who has 20-plus college offers. Sema Udo is a first-team all-district player who is choosing between UT-San Antonio, Incarnate Word and Lamar. Kennedy Borders was the District 6-6A newcomer of the year as a freshman and already has offers from Georgetown and Howard.
7. Little Elm: Second-team all-area point guard Shiloh Kimpson, committed to Tulane, is back after averaging 16.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.8 steals for a 30-9 team. Little Elm was a regional finalist two years ago and reached the third round of the playoffs last season. First-team all-district shooting guard Raniyah Hunt averaged 14 points and shot 38% from 3-point range.
8. Mansfield Lake Ridge: Four-star sophomore point guard Jazman Bailey is the No. 3-ranked recruit in Texas and the 25th-rated player in the nation in the Class of 2027. She averaged 15.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists and was The Dallas Morning News All-Area Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. Shooting guard Kinsea Grimes (formerly Logan) is committed to Coastal Carolina and averaged 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds and was a first-team all-district season. Lake Ridge has reached the third round of the playoffs each of the last three seasons.
9. Prosper: Kendall Mosley, a 5-11 senior guard, is committed to San Diego State and also had offers from Georgia, SMU and Seton Hall, among others. Mosley was the District 5-6A offensive player of the year and averaged 17.6 points and 8.2 rebounds for a 25-11 team. First-team all-district guard Kamryn Phoenix, committed to Oklahoma Wesleyan, averaged 11.8 points. Sophomore center Elizabeth Pittman (8.2 points, 6.1 rebounds) and senior guard Jameson Swords (4.1 steals per game) will also play key roles. Pittman already has a handful of Division I offers. Ava Scott, a 6-0 senior forward, missed all of last season but averaged 8 points per game while starting as a sophomore.
10. Princeton: Princeton moved up to 6A in realignment after reaching a regional final in 5A last season. Texas A&M-Commerce pledge Terrayah McCoy, an all-state senior forward, averaged 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals. All-state senior guard Mariah Hart averaged 15.9 points, 3.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals, and all-region guard Chandler Evans averaged 12.2 points, 2.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals. All three were first-team all-district picks.
Class 5A-others
1. Frisco Liberty: After winning back-to-back Class 5A state titles and claiming three state championships in the last five years, Liberty enters this season ranked No. 1 in the state. But Liberty lost two all-state players from a 34-7 team as five-star point forward Jacy Abii transferred to Legion Prep Academy and Stephen F. Austin signee Keyera Roseby graduated after averaging 11.4 points and 5.5 rebounds. Abii, who averaged 20.3 points and 8.2 rebounds, is the No. 1 recruit in the state and is rated the seventh-best player in the nation in the Class of 2026. She tore her ACL in the offseason. Sisters Tina and Christal Webb weren’t on the varsity last season, but the two point guards are expected to make a huge impact as seniors. Guards Lilian Johnson and Kathryn Murphy have played on Liberty’s last two state title teams and should provide key contributions as well. Shooting guard Aziyah Farrier, who averaged 14 points and 5.5 rebounds at the state tournament as a junior, also transferred to Legion Prep.
2. Argyle: Argyle has won six state titles, second-most in Dallas-area history behind Duncanville (12). Argyle reached the state tournament eight times in a nine-year span from 2014 to 2022 and nearly went back last season, losing to Mansfield Timberview in a regional final. Argyle must replace all-state guard Gabby Campbell but is No. 4 in the 5A preseason state rankings. Chance Westmoreland is 219-42 at Argyle, and last season’s 34-6 record brought his career mark to 413-77. Senior guard Kennedy Hafer and sophomore forward Landry Murphy were first-team all-district picks after combining to average 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Wrigley Green was second-team all-district. Argyle has plenty of height with the 6-2 Murphy, 6-1 senior forward Brooklynn Northeim and 6-0 junior guard/forward McKenzie Napier.
3. W.T. White: Coming off the first regional semifinal appearance in school history, W.T. White added newcomer Miracle Akpotayobo, who is committed to Auburn. Dany Diaz was the District 11-5A MVP and an all-state selection as a sophomore, averaging 23.6 points.
4. Frisco Memorial: The state’s eighth-ranked team has four returning starters — Pressley Powell, Sydney Murphy, Emily Bray and Makayla Ellison. Powell and Jevan Collier were all-region selections. Katelynn Evans (sat out due to transferring) and Payton Jones (didn’t play because she was recovering from an ACL injury) didn’t play on the varsity last season but are expected to be key contributors. Frisco Memorial was the 5A state runner-up in 2022 and a regional semifinalist in 2023.
5. Denton Ryan: Denton Ryan reached the third round of the playoffs last season and returns a lot of young talent. Kinley Lewis was the District 7-5A offensive MVP as a sophomore, and Kaylin Jackson was the district’s defensive player of the year as a sophomore. Atiya Everett and Jamyla Anderson were second-team all-district selections as freshmen.
6. McKinney North: The school was a regional finalist in 2023 and a regional semifinalist last season. McKinney North goes into the season ranked No. 18 in the state and has three returning starters — Ryhan Balous, Chloe Kostka and Tiyana Alexander. Balous averaged 9.5 points for the season and 11.8 points in the playoffs for a 29-11 team. She tied the school record for most made 3-pointers in a game with nine. She was the 5A state champion in the long jump and the state runner-up in the 100 meters in track last season. Freshmen Ashanti Dye and Makayla Clarke should contribute right away.
7. Lincoln: Lincoln made its 16th state tournament appearance last season and lost in double overtime in the semifinals to eventual 4A champion Waco La Vega. Ar’Jayla Elder, a junior guard, averaged 15.6 points, 6 assists and 3 steals and was a third-team all-area selection and an all-state pick for a 30-4 team. All-state guard Grace Spencer averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds, sophomore guard Jada Patterson averaged 10 point and 7 rebounds and senior forward Sy’Nyah Gulley averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds. Lincoln enters the season ranked No. 3 in the state in 4A.
8. Sunnyvale: Sunnyvale is coming off a 33-3 season and lost in the third round of the playoffs to state semifinalist Lincoln. Alli McAda, a 5-11 senior guard, is one of the top 4A players in the state and averaged 19.3 points and made 130 3-pointers. Senior point guard Nilaya Gordon averaged 10 points and 4 assists, and junior forward Destiny Arinze averaged 6 points and 7 rebounds. Jill McDill, entering her 25th season as a head coach, has a career record of 717-149 and is 339-52 at Sunnyvale.
9. Frisco Wakeland: It is coming off a 26-10 season and returns 5-11 sophomore point guard/wing Charlotte Cavin, who averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals and was a first-team all-district selection. She already has offers from Stephen F. Austin and Colorado State. Chloe Chiniara, Madison Epps, Kaylei Thornton and Faith Lee combined to average 25.2 points, 16.7 rebounds and 7 steals, and Chiniara was the co-defensive player of the year in Wakeland’s district.
10. Frisco Lone Star: The state’s 25th-ranked team will be led by sophomore Patience Simmons, junior Kendall Foster and senior Kennedy Jones. Simmons led Lone Star in rebounds and ranked second in scoring last year, and she will be used more on the perimeter after being the team’s primary post defender last season. Foster was her district’s offensive player of the year and is entering her third season on the varsity. Erin Williams, who is committed to Kennesaw State for lacrosse, is expected to play a huge role.
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