High school girls basketball: 10 Class of 2027 stars who will break out as National Player of the Year candidates next season

High school girls basketball: 10 Class of 2027 stars who will break out as National Player of the Year candidates next season originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . 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.

Some might be poised for explosions in statistical production, and others might already have the individual numbers but need to lift their teams to new levels of success in order to be recognized at that level. 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.