Ten standout players from the Class of 2027 are poised to emerge as National Player of the Year candidates next season in high school girls basketball. These players include both rapidly rising underclassmen and lesser-known rising seniors.
Key points
Ten Class of 2027 players are potential National Player of the Year candidates.
Candidates include underclass All-Americans and rising seniors.
Some players may not yet be well-known nationally.
Performance in the upcoming season will be crucial for candidacy.
Watchlists will be released before the 2026-27 season.
When the 2026-27 high school basketball season draws near and it's time for preseason National Player of the Year watchlists, most players selected will be obvious inclusions.
Understandably, one can expect most of them to be incumbent underclass All-Americans and/or top-ranked prospects who put up solid numbers in 2025-26.
That would be a great start, but some of the nation's potential top MVP candidates would slip through the cracks. And not just rapidly emerging underclassmen – even some rising seniors who aren't already household names at a national level could take the superstar leap this winter and put themselves in the NPOY conversation.
With that said, here's a look at 10 prime candidates in the Class of 2027 to emerge as National Player of the Year contenders in their senior seasons.
To be clear, these players are already big-name high school stars and D-1 recruits, including multiple players who were named junior All-American honorable mentions this past season by MaxPreps. By no means are we talking about diamonds in the rough waiting to discovered. The list is about players who have already solidified themselves as decorated high school players and serious D-1 prospects but are yet to take the leap as National Player of the Year candidates – for now.
Sabrina Anderson, G, Potomac, 5-9 – No. 48 in Class of 2027 per ESPN
A 4-star SG and one of the most unstoppable scorers in the country, Anderson averaged 23.3 points, 2.9 steals, and 2.5 assists a game on 48/40/93 shooting splits to lead Potomac to a second place (tied) finish in the ISL standings and VISAA D1 state quarterfinals appearance last season. She connected on 79 three-pointers and was at her best against Potomac School's best opponents even in losses, including outings of 34 and 36 points against Bullis, 30 points against St. John's and Pallotti, and 33 points in an upset of Sidwell Friends. It's surprising that Anderson didn't get more national attention for her amazing junior campaign, and if she puts up similar numbers while spearheading another leap for the Panthers – which only graduate one of their top six producers – she will irrefutably be a nationwide MVP candidate.
Q&A
Who are the top Class of 2027 girls basketball players to watch for National Player of the Year?
The article highlights ten standout players from the Class of 2027 who are expected to be National Player of the Year candidates.
What factors contribute to a player becoming a National Player of the Year candidate in high school basketball?
Candidates typically include underclass All-Americans, top-ranked prospects, and players who have shown significant improvement and solid performance in previous seasons.
How can rising seniors still become National Player of the Year candidates?
Rising seniors who may not yet be household names can make a significant leap in performance, putting them in contention for the National Player of the Year title.
When will the preseason National Player of the Year watchlists be released for high school basketball?
The preseason National Player of the Year watchlists are typically released as the 2026-27 high school basketball season approaches.
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Jalynn Belton, G/F, Miami Country Day, 5-10 – No. 50 per 247Sports
Jalynn Belton Miami basketball
Jalynn Belton Miami basketball
Craig Bailey/Florida Today / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Through five years of high school ball (including seventh and eighth grade), Belton has upped her points, assists, and steals averages every season while leading the Spartans (28-2) to their strongest season yet in 2025-26. The 4-star wing also shot a career-high 45% from the field with a career-best 46 made threes on 34% 3FG. Next season, Miami Country Day projects to return most of its rotation but is graduating some key perimeter production with Kamie Ellis and Casey O'Connell off to Ohio and Evansville, respectively. That provides a challenge but there will be more shots to go around, so if Belton can continue her trend of across-the-board improvement and keep her team in the national picture, her individual stock could soar.
Finley Chastain, G, Walnut Grove, 6-1 – No. 53 per ESPN, No. 36 per 247Sports
Chastain was a force in her first season as a Wildcat, leading Walnut Grove to the UIL 5A D1 semifinals in just the program's third year of existence with an efficient 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game to go with five assists and three steals. With back-to-back champion Denton Ryan graduating its nucleus, Walnut Grove, which returns the majority of its team, should enter 2026-27 as the favorite in its division. If Chastain and the Wildcats take another collective leap, the versatile 4-star guard would at minimum be a can't-miss candidate for All-American honors.
Jayla Forbes, C, Montverde Academy, 6-7 – No. 15 per ESPN, No. 39 per 247Sports
Now a 5-star prospect per ESPN, the 6-foot-7 Forbes' excellent junior campaign was at times overshadowed by MVA's injury-related struggles. But she had double-doubles on at least 50% shooting in all three Montverde losses that she played in, and the other occurred when Forbes herself was unavailable, which might not have been a coincidence. On the season, she averaged 10.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game on 53% shooting and arguably deserved more flowers than she got for her impressive work. Health permitting, Montverde Academy is bound for a bounce-back year in 2026-27 with Forbes and Jordan Speller leading the way. And Forbes could solidify her status as one of the nation's most dominant forces with huge stats to show for it.
Miciah Fusilier, F, IMG Academy, 6-4 – No. 26 per ESPN, No. 19 per 247Sports
A 4-star point forward with a world of upside, Fusilier was one of IMG Academy's top players as a junior as the perennial prep power rebuilt its roster from scratch. The Ascenders struggled with injuries and general consistency but are an easy pick to return to the national top 25 – if not the top 10 – with continuity and better health, as Fusilier is one of a good few national recruits slated to come back in 2026-27. With both an individual and collective leap, the Baylor commit could put up some uniquely dominant numbers while steering IMG back to national title contention.
Timani Harris, G, DME Academy, 5-9
Chipotle Nationals champion DME Academy is coming off, at minimum, one of the best seasons in program history. And it was led almost entirely by seniors, like Sara Okeke (USC), Gigi Battle (Indiana), and Chikae Desdunes (Rutgers). An exception, however, was 4-star CG Timani Harris, who averaged 11 PPG while leading the team in three-point field goals (47) and three-point percentage (38) in addition to steals (1.5 SPG). Assuming DME picks up a big-name transfer or two that could fit alongside the its returners, the Chipotle Nationals all-tournament selection might have a chance to be even more of a focal point for a national contender. She has what it takes to average an efficient 20 points, double her assist output (1.9 APG), and have enough energy left to keep locking down on defense if 2026-27 once again brings her a lot of spot-up opportunities plus more primary ball-handling touches.
Jemini Mitchell, G/F, Legion Prep, 6-1 – No. 21 per ESPN, No. 18 per 247Sports
This one is a no-brainer. Mitchell averaged 22.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.2 steals with 67 made threes on 51/40/79 shooting splits as a sophomore in 2024-25 while leading nationally ranked Cypress Springs to a 30-4 record. And she was still one of the Class of 2027's most impressive talents as a junior at Legion Prep, but on such a stacked team with some elite senior playmakers, she didn't have the chance to put up big numbers. She will as a senior with her main co-stars off to college, and LPA's frontcourt projects to be loaded again with Elizabeth Pittman, Makayla Clarke, and Coco Rawlins patrolling the paint. With a little bit of help at guard presumably coming via transfer, Mitchell is a safe bet to put up huge numbers while anchoring a national contender.
Saniyah Murray, F/C, Harrison Central, 6-4 – No. 25 per ESPN, No. 20 per 247Sports
Saniyah Murray basketball
Saniyah Murray basketball
Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Harrison Central was able to compete with national-caliber competition when at its best in 2025-26, and now it's set to return almost its entire roster next season. That's quite a spot to be in when you're a reigning MHSAA 7A state finalist. Murray, a 4-star P with offers from most of the South's biggest-name college programs, averaged team-highs of 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 60% FG to go with 2.0 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 1.3 assists despite routinely playing 20 minutes or less in lopsided wins. Getting Murray clean looks and comfortable touches against Mississippi's top opponents was the Red Raiders' main struggle in their seven losses, but she proved capable of taking over even against formidable competition when Harrison Central was able to enforce its style of play. Another year of continuity and refinement could have Harrison Central quickly rise up the national rankings in 2026-27, and if that happens, Murray will almost certainly be in National Player of the Year discussions.
Ze'Ni Patterson, G, Archbishop Mitty, 5-9
Usually one of the most balanced offenses in high school basketball's upper ranks, Archbishop Mitty projects to have a relatively thin core next season, so there will probably be room for its three incumbent stars to go up substantially in usage. Playing next to a high-level facilitator in Tiera McCarthy and a blue chip forward in Maliya Hunter, Patterson is in an ideal situation to produce for a playmaking combo guard and has the explosive scoring capabilities to average upwards of 20 points efficiently even against a top-tier schedule. She hit 61 three-pointers as a junior en-route to averaging 11 PPG and she's equally dangerous attacking the rim. Additionally, the MaxPreps Junior All-American honorable mention has been a defensive standout for one of the nation's premier defenses and averaged 2.2 SPG last season.
Giaunni Rogers, G, St. Francis (Alpharetta), 5-9
St. Francis was once again good enough to hang around on national radars this past season, and the perennial GHSA Private contenders have a chance at one of their strongest seasons yet in 2026-27. Most of last season's team consisted of underclassmen who had improved substantially from the year before. The Knights will, however, need to make up for the playmaking of current senior Cam Golston, who led the team with 5.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game to go with 14.4 PPG and is now off to South Alabama. Rogers, a prototypical combo guard with SEC and ACC offers, averaged career-highs of 16.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 steals per game and hit a whopping 92 threes at just below a 40% clip. Based on the program's recent pedigree, St. Francis will almost surely move back up the national landscape next season if Rogers and all of her projected co-stars, such as Aila Courtenay and Peyton Mann, return and continue their trend of significant year-over-year improvement. And if Rogers puts up even bigger numbers while maintaining her efficiency, her individual stock will go through the roof.
