Nine high school girls basketball players from the Class of 2028 are emerging as candidates for the National Junior of the Year award next season. These athletes are already recognized as top prospects and are expected to make significant impacts in their upcoming junior year.
Key points
Nine players from Class of 2028 are emerging talents
Candidates are expected to compete for National Junior of the Year
Last week, we took a look at 10 rising seniors (Class of 2027) who we expect to break out as legitimate National Player of the Year candidates.
Now it's time to talk about rising juniors (Class of 2028) who are poised to take the superstar leap in 2026-27. All of the following players are already well established as top prospects and players in their classification, but none were quite in the running for National Sophomore of the Year honors this past season. And every one of them has what it takes to compete for status as the top junior in high school girls basketball this winter.
Hailey Benbow, G, Rutgers Prep, 5-11 – No. 14 in Class of 2028 per ESPN
Hailey Benbow Rutgers Prep
Hailey Benbow Rutgers Prep
Q&A
Who are the top Class of 2028 girls basketball players to watch?
The article highlights nine standout players from the Class of 2028 who are expected to break out as National Junior of the Year candidates.
What criteria make a player a candidate for National Junior of the Year?
Candidates are typically established top prospects in their classification who show significant potential to excel in their junior year.
When will the National Junior of the Year candidates be evaluated?
The evaluation for the National Junior of the Year candidates will take place during the 2026-27 basketball season.
What is the significance of being named National Junior of the Year?
Being named National Junior of the Year signifies recognition as one of the top talents in high school girls basketball, often impacting future recruitment and scholarship opportunities.
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The 4-star shooting guard averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game to lead the Argonauts to a 25-4 record and the state semifinals. And she's just getting started, but Rutgers Prep is now tasked with graduating most of its other top players. Benbow will have the opportunity to carry a heavy load next season for a program that has repeatedly proven it knows how to stay nationally relevant, and she has what it takes to keep them near the top of New Jersey's pecking order even with less help.
Tony Tribble/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Long considered one of the Class of 2028's top talents, Blankumsee has been on a McDonald's All-American trajectory from her first days of high school ball. She averaged 14 points and three assists on 48% FG this past season against a tough schedule for one of the Midwest's better teams, and she has the upside to lead the Warriors over the top next year after they came up just barely short in a few marquee matchups.
Amel Cook, G/F, Windward, 6-0 – No. 9 per ESPN
Already a bona fide 5-star wing prospect despite missing her sophomore season with an injury, Cook need only have a healthy return in 2026-27 to have a chance at all-classification All-American honors. Without more injuries or unexpected departures, Windward will be one of the most improved teams in California and beyond. She was already named Second Team All-State by Cal-Hi Sports as a freshman a year ago and has every tool needed to put up big numbers on a nationally relevant team. The return to national relevance Windward would likely experience from a full season of Cook, Princeton commit Angelina Habis, and fellow blue chip guard Charis Rainey would be enough for the team's top producers to see their individual stocks continue to explode.
Lanae Dallas, G, Lincoln (Dallas), 5-10
One of the top players in UIL Texas high school basketball from her first days at Lincoln, Dallas has already helped lead the Tigers to back-to-back 4A D2 state titles. And she still hasn't shown everything she can do yet, as evidenced by her work against Lincoln's top opponents and in club ball. She averaged 12.7 PPG as a sophomore including 23 points in the state finals and has stepped up in most of Lincoln's key matchups, finding another gear against national-caliber competition even in losses. Now the Tigers graduate double-digit scorers in Ar'Jayla Elder (Old Dominion) and Bralyah Miller (North Texas), so Dallas has the opportunity to step into even more of a starring role with some nice up-and-coming talent around her to keep Lincoln in the mix.
Kyndoll English, F/C, Grace Christian, 6-3
Not currently ranked by ESPN or 247Sports, English put together a huge sophomore campaign between her big stat lines and Grace Christian's return to the national radar. Put that together with her projectable and powerful 6-foot-3 frame, she seems like a 4-star or 5-star recruit in the making. She led the nationally ranked Crusaders to a 23-1 campaign with 17.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game on 53/34/76 shooting splits. Despite graduating star guard Kennedy Jackson, Grace Christian projects to return most of its core in 2026-27, and it wouldn't require that massive a leap in team success and English's individual averages for the versatile post to break out as a high-profile Junior of the Year candidate.
Janiyah Hargrave, G, Fairmont, 5-9 – No. 16 per ESPN
Janiyah Hargrave Fairmont basketball
Janiyah Hargrave Fairmont basketball
Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Hargrave led Fairmont to an undefeated record, state title, and breakthrough to the national landscape in 2025-26 with 16.1 points, 2.2 steals, 1.5 assists, and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game on 52% FG as just a sophomore. However, she wasn't a finalist for Ohio Ms. Basketball. Her teammate Kaylah Thornton, who averaged 18 points and 2.5 assists, was a finalist, however, and the Firebirds will need to pick up her slack in the backcourt if they want to build on this past season's successes. With Thornton off to Akron and point guard Nico Cornett off to Lake Erie College, Hargrave will be given all the perimeter playmaking and scoring touches she can handle. And if she can increase her volume while remaining efficient and keep Fairmont on the national radar – undefeated state title run or not – she'll be in the mix for National Junior of the Year.
Zaire "Cherri" Hatter, G, Sierra Canyon, 5-8
While not quite dominant, Hatter was every bit as good as advertised in her first year as a Trailblazer. When fellow Desert Vista transfer Jerzy Robinson was rehabilitating an ankle injury in the season's opening weeks, Hatter helped Sierra Canyon stay formidable in a featured role, and when it was the 5-star South Carolina commit's show, Hatter also excelled in a complimentary role. For the season, Hatter averaged 11.6 points and 2.6 assists per game. Don't be surprised if those averages double next season as the Trailblazers usher in their new generation of stars.
Kelli Kalb, G/F, Johnston, 5-11
Kelli Kalb Johnston basketball
Kelli Kalb Johnston basketball
Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Des Moines Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With McDonald's All-American Jenica Lewis (20.5 points, 3.3 assists) heading to Notre Dame, the Dragons will be hard-pressed to extend their legendary undefeated streak across a fourth year, but nobody is counting them out with Kalb and rising senior point guard Ari Phillips leading the charge. Kalb is a long, athletic wing with a smooth stroke who took a leap from her freshman to sophomore season to earn First Team All-State honors and is reportedly still growing. Everybody will be watching Johnston closely to see how long it can keep this magical run going, and Kalb appears poised to fulfill Lewis' volume scoring role and thrive in it.
Rosie Oladokun, F/C, Sierra Canyon, 6-4 – No. 20 per ESPN
Another Trailblazer on this list along with Cheri Hatter, Oladokun averaged 8.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists with 41 made three-pointers in her breakout sophomore campaign. Her ceiling is about as high as it gets with the size and length of a D-I center to go with the mobility and perimeter stroke of a wing. Sierra Canyon will most likely be good enough to stay nationally relevant through internal development next season even if it doesn't get any big-name transfers, and Oladokun will be fed all the spot-up jumpers and interior touches that she can handle for a great team. She's also a burgeoning defensive ace and could plausibly put up massive numbers across the board for the perennial Southern California power in 2026-27.
