Who's the No. 1 player in the girls' 2026, 2027 and 2028 classes?

Declaring the No. 1 imaginable successful a people is an arduous, hard task, for a fig of reasons. But idiosyncratic has to bash it.

The extremity with these rankings is ever to task into the aboriginal to get it close successful the agelong term, adjacent if precocious schoolhouse recruiting rankings yet person small interaction connected players' careers erstwhile they get to assemblage and beyond. In immoderate cases it becomes much analyzable erstwhile players leap onto the radar astatine antithetic points successful their hoops careers -- immoderate good earlier they participate precocious schoolhouse -- making things much fluid than 1 would expect.

We'll update our subordinate rankings successful aboriginal October. Before that happens, let's look astatine the apical players successful each radical -- peculiarly who's successful the moving to beryllium the No. 1 player.

See the existent subordinate rankings:
2026 | 2027 | 2028

2026: The much absorbing contention is happening astatine No. 2

Saniyah Hall has solidified her spot atop the 2026 class. So the existent question is: who comes next? Can either Olivia Vukosa oregon Oliviyah Edwards situation Hall?

Why Hall is No. 1

The USC Trojans perpetrate had a calendar twelvemonth for the books successful 2024-25. She dominated astatine powerhouse Montverde Academy earlier transferring to Spire Academy successful Ohio, person to home. The 6-foot-0 defender was besides named MVP of the 2025 U19 FIBA World Cup aft averaging a U19 USA Basketball grounds 19.9 points to spell on with 6.4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.9 steals successful 23 minutes per crippled during the tournament.

Hall has besides separated herself successful a unsocial mode for a perimeter player. She perpetually outworks her opponents connected the solid and embraces her physicality, starring to a monolithic vantage connected drives and finishes. While her shooting improved crossed the board, her accordant grittiness bolsters her accumulation and gives her the wide clasp connected the No. 1 spot.

What's holding No. 2. Edwards back?

Edwards averaged 17 points and 7.8 rebounds connected 63.5% shooting from the tract connected the adidas 3SSB circuit this past year. A 6-3 forward, she has an precocious handle, face-up crippled and wide fantabulous touch. Edwards has arguably the astir upside among the apical 3 players successful the 2026 class, and tin defender astir immoderate presumption connected the floor. She's susceptible of feats similar dunking successful the mediate of a crippled aft slicing done a passing lane connected defense, and her immense endowment creates a precocious standard.

However, determination are times erstwhile she's excessively laid backmost and fails to interaction the crippled for agelong stretches -- surprising, fixed her gaudy tools. There's besides interest she won't beryllium consistently challenged again until assemblage due to the fact that she faces subpar precocious schoolhouse competition.

Edwards's recruiting process is heated: She volition take betwixt South Carolina, USC, LSU, Tennessee, Florida and Washington.

Can No. 3 Vukosa support challenging herself?

The 6-4 forward/center retired of New York averaged 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds connected businesslike shooting for Croatia's U20 FIBA EuroBasket Division B squad successful August, highlighted by a monolithic 35-point, 22-rebound showing against Bulgaria successful the third-place game. A nimble, new-age post, Vukosa is comfy facilitating, stepping retired to the 3-point enactment and flashing face-up touch. She inactive needs to refine her station play and decorativeness successful t...