We sent a questionnaire out to all eight teams on this list and one thing is pretty obvious, and that is the transfer bug is more prevalent in Southern California where a majority of the teams have been impacted by transfers. Once again, this is a pre-pre season list and is predicated on the transfer bug. As mentioned previously, this order could change for the full Preseason State TOP 40 Rankings and likely will.
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1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
If all the all the transfers come through for head coach Jody Wynn, one prominent analyst told us, “Mater Dei should be unbeatable as long as everyone is cleared to play.” The list includes Tati Griffin from Ontario Christian and Addison Archer from Rancho Christian.
Kaleena Smith led Ontario Christian to the CIF Open Division state title and was a runaway winner in final Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year evaluations. Photo: Scott Kurtz / Cal-Hi Sports.
2. Ontario Christian (Ontario)
The Lady Knights have “Special K” Kaleena Smith back and she is clearly establishing herself as one of the all-time California high school greats, and although they lose Tati Griffin they have additions including Aliyah Phillips coming over from Etiwanda and Ava Washington from Saint Joseph. Because of that, we’re not going to drop the defensing CIF Open Division state champions any lower than No. 2 and for the real pre-season rankings they very likely will be on top of the state.
3. Windward (Los Angeles)
The Wildcats won the NCAA Certified Scholastic Section VII title in June in Arizona where Ontario Christian and Archbishop Mitty were in the field. We were originally going to have them on top when we did the first Girls of Summer post with Amel Cook coming back strong along with a host of other returnees and a formidable freshman class, but a lot has changed since then.
4. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
Cal-Hi Sports State Senior of the Year Jerzy Robinson is off to college but Sierra Canyon will still be formidable with who it returns. Transfer Aliyah Mack from Fairmont Prep, a force inside and the runner-up for Cal-Hi Sports State Freshman of the Year, will join junior inside-out big Rosie Oladokun to give the Trailblazers a formidable 1-2 punch. Sierra Canyon has some other solid returnees, but according to Head Coach Alicia Komaki that will be all the transfers the Trailblazers are going to add to the mix.
5. Centennial (Corona)
The Huskies bit the transfer bug big last year but according to head coach Matt Tumambing he “declined 3-4 transfers because I have eight girls with D1 offers. We didn’t see junior 6-foot-7 Sydney “Bean” Douglas this summer since she did not play at Girls California Live 2026, but we did see senior guard Armanyie Reed, and she looked better than she did in the CIF D1 state championship where she shined. We also saw several other Centennial players, including junior Princess Poialii-Hunkin, and she looked like a woman amongst girls at the HER event.
6. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
We realize head coach Sue Phillips and her Monarchs finished higher in the final expanded rankings last season, but unlike the Southern California teams they really didn’t benefit from the transfer bug, and the top team from Northern California doesn’t have quite as much returning firepower as the SoCal teams ahead of them. They do have inside presence with junior Maliya Hunter and based off her showing at USA Basketball she comes in near the top of the rankings and looks significantly improved. Phillips has a deep and very talented roster including senior guard Zion Patterson, and as things shake out they could be higher for the real preseason rankings.
7. Etiwanda
There are some who say that head coach Stan Delus and his Eagles girls could be higher, and as we get closer to the real preseason ranking they very well may be. Besides losing Arynn Finley to graduation they also lost senior F/C Aliyah Phillips to transfer, but according to Delus they are still loaded. The top returners are senior guards Chasity Rice, Andrea Alamo and Sydney Roberson, plus senior forwards Tess Oldenburg and Jaylee Moore. He also got an Arizona transfer, senior guard Dashia Richardson, who was one of the state’s top players. He also got another transfer, sophomore guard Aniyah Lindsey, from Lakewood.
8. St. Mary’s (Stockton)
Head coach Alle Moreno and her Rams girls would like nothing more than to supplant Mitty as the top team from Northern California and after a disappointing finish to last season they will have a shot at it this season. Three St. Mary’s players are close to the top of the rankings led by senior guard Kori Rodgers. She is followed by sophomore guard Anya Hardy and sophomore wing Dylan Horton, but there are several others we liked a lot if you check the list.
