DMV Players Competing in the NCAA Tournament

<p>Below is a list of players who will compete in the NCAA. As a writer for Prep Dig for a couple years it makes me feel proud to see a number of ranked, as well as unranked players succeed at the highest level. In the beginning Maryland players did not get included in the rankings until 2024. There were some that filtered in but for the most part it was restricted to Virginia. Clearly, there were a lot of talented players that I was watching play in club ball that were being ignored. So, in 2024 I decided to make Virginia a more DMV site (DC/Maryland/Virginia). I also increased my ranking limit from 100 to 200.</p>   <p>Perhaps at some point Maryland will get its own site. Until then, we will continue to include them. Below is a list of players from the DMV area who are competing in the NCAA final 64. I have also included players who have committed but are still in high school as well. Who Knows? Perhaps they will be competing next year. </p>   <p>The class of 2025 has the most players with 11. Five of the first six ranked players in that class will compete in the tournament. For the future class of 2026 the top four players would be competing if they qualify to play next year. The teams who have players are listed in alphabetical order. Pick a team, watch the tournament and root them on!!!!!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">American</h2>   <p><strong>Maddy Stewart</strong> (Broadneck) - #40 from the class of 2023.</p>   <p><strong>Prinzez Zeck </strong>(Wheaton/[program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite']) - # 28 from the class of 2023. An example of a Maryland/Virginia crossover.</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='333652' first='Gabriella' last='Vizek']</strong> (Riverside/Metro) - #12 from the class of 2026. A current player not competing.</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='377396' first='Alexa' last='Telly']</strong> (Georgetown Day/Metro) - # 7 from the class of 2027. A second current player not competing.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Arizona</h2>   <p><strong>Renee Jones </strong>(Flint Hill/Metro) - Reclassified and graduated a year after her sister <strong>Ryla Jones</strong>. Moved to Florida to attend the IMG Academy. Ranked in the top 15 in the class of 2024 prior to her departure.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Arizona State</h2>   <p><strong>Kiylah Presley</strong> (Bishop McNamara/[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']) - # 5 from the class of 2024. Redshirted her first year so still considered a frosh.</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid']</strong> ([program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']/James Wood) - # 3 in the class of 2026. Going on a beach scholarship and if the rules still apply players on a beach scholarship cannot play indoors but players on an indoor scholarship can play beach. It was established to prevent programs like Nebraska from hoarding top notch players on their beach team,</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Baylor</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/RG1A6109.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-788243" style="width:520px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'] with the block</figcaption></figure>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson']</strong> (Riverside/Metro) - #1 class of 2026. A current player not competing.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">BYU</h2>   <p><strong>Brielle Kemavor</strong> (Colgan/Metro) - # 3 class of 2023. Just missed my 2022 high school player of the year vote when <strong>Milan Rex </strong>and Alexandria City beat Colgan in the Class 6 Virginia State championship.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Campbell</h2>   <p><strong>Victoria Tupy</strong> (Landstown) - # 22 class of 2024.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Coppin State</h2>   <p><strong>Ayanna Pharoah</strong> (Howard) - class of 2021. At that time Maryland players were not included in the rankings.</p>   <p><strong>Devianna Walker </strong>(Arundel) - # 51 class of 2024.</p>   <p><strong>Aya Rawlins</strong> (Paint Branch) - # 90 class of 2024.</p>   <p><strong>Maddie Smith</strong> (Courtland) - not ranked class of 2025. Added to rankings in 2022 but dropped out of rankings at some point. The lone unranked player competing in this event.</p>   <p><strong>Payton Swinton </strong>(Arundel) - # 37 class of 2024</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fairfield</h2>   <p><strong>Danielle Suarez</strong> (Holy Cross) - # 52 class of 2023.</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='394612' first='Natalie' last='Carlton']</strong> (Riverside) - #33 class of 2024.</p>   <p><strong>Harlan Wyche </strong>(South Lakes) - # 28 class of 2024. Harlan played on my 13 team. The one player I coached playing in this event.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Florida A & M</h2>   <p><strong>Kristen Moore</strong> (Virginia Academy) - # 61 class of 2025.</p>   <p><strong>Alexandra Moore</strong> (Virginia Academy) - # 65 class of 2025.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Georgia Tech</h2>   <p><strong>Lameen Mambu </strong>(Chantilly) - #1 class of 2025. Once Cari Spears moved to Texas she replaced her as the top ranked player in Virginia.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">High Point</h2>   <p><strong>Jasmine Oduro</strong> (Westfield) - # 156 class of 2025.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Iowa State</h2>   <p><strong>Pam McCune</strong> (St. Johns) - #6 class of 2023.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kansas State</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/02/IMG_6679.jpeg?w=1016" alt="" class="wp-image-753743" style="width:449px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Caleigh Ponn</figcaption></figure>   <p><strong>Caleigh Ponn</strong> (Hidden Valley) - # 4 class of 2025. She probably holds the record as the only player to debut in the rankings in the top ten. Won Gatorade and Prep Dig high school player of the year in 2024.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kentucky</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='555602' first='Bryah' last='Breaux'] (Garrison Forest) - # 18 class of 2026. Currently not competing in this event.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Louisville</h2>   <p><strong>Hannah Sherman</strong> (Holy Cross) - not ranked class of 2022. Wanted to rank her but told she was a Maryland player and could not be ranked.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Marquette</h2>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan']</strong> (North Hagerstown) - # 2 in class of 2026. Currently the best player in the class but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson']</strong> still brings the greatest potential.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Michigan</h2>   <p><strong>Leni Stanton Parke</strong>r (Langley) - ranked in the top ten in the class of 2025. Moved to Florida her senior year to play at IMG Academy.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North Carolina</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/05/DSC05312.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-197490" style="width:355px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Safi Hampton</figcaption></figure>   <p><strong>Safi Hampton </strong>(Hammond) - # 1 class of 2023. Not ranked by me but a Maryland girl that got included in the rankings. The choice was either to remove her from the rankings to stay consistent or start including Maryland players. Because this area is so fluid, even with West Virginia girls coming over to play for Virginia clubs I decided to begin including Maryland girls in the rankings. Otherwise, players with her talent could not be showcased.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Penn State</h2>   <p><strong>Emmi Sellman </strong>(Holy Cross) - # 1 class of 2024. Originally committed to Ohio State but after one season there transferred to Penn State. Gatorade and Prep Dig Maryland high school player of the year in 2023.</p>   <p><strong>Alexis Ewing</strong> (Bullis) - # 3 class of 2025.</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington']</strong> (Wakefield) - # 1 Class of 2027.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pittsburgh</h2>   <p><strong>Ryla Jones</strong> (Flint Hill) - # 4 class of 2024.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Purdue</h2>   <p><strong>Isabelle Bardin</strong> (Flint Hill) -# 2 class of 2025.</p>   <p><strong>Akasha Anderson </strong>(Herndon) - # 1 class of 2022. Won Gatorade and Prep Dig Virginia high school player of the year in 2021. Committed to Auburn, then transferred to Michigan State. Played for Purdue this year. Three schools in three years. Auburn made it to the NCAA 64 when Akasha played there as a frosh.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">South Florida</h2>   <p><strong>Laila Ivey</strong> (Indian Creek) - class of 2021. Girls from Maryland not ranked in 2021. Originally went to University of Maryland.</p>   <p><strong>Samiha Foster </strong>(Reservoir) - class of 2021. Girls from Maryland no ranked in 2021. Originally went to West Virginia.</p>   <p><strong>Tatiana Johnson</strong> (Urbana) - class of 2021. Girls from Maryland not ranked in 2021.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tennessee</h2>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='227251' first='Morgan' last='Williams']</strong> (Lake Braddock) - # 4 in class of 2026. Not the same [player_tooltip player_id='227251' first='Morgan' last='Williams'] who plays for Purdue. Ironically, <strong>Isabelle Bardin</strong> and this Morgan were teammates at Metro.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Texas</h2>   <p><strong>Cari Spears </strong>(Flint Hill) - # 1 in class of 2025 for her frosh and sophomore years while in high school here.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">UCLA (University of California Los Angeles)</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='437441' first='Hunter' last='Ross'] (Flint Hill) - # 2 in class of 2027. Currently not competing in this event.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County)</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/01/DSC08785.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-295133" style="width:426px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hannah Howard</figcaption></figure>   <p><strong>Molly Penn</strong> (Mount de Sales) - Class of 2022. Girls from Maryland not ranked in 2022.</p>   <p><strong>Izzy Ostvig </strong>(Colonial Forge) - # 7 in class of 2024.</p>   <p><strong>Hannah Howard</strong> (Musselman) - # 7 in class of 2023. Gatorade player of the year for West Virginia her junior year. Played for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''].</p>   <p><strong>Ema Djordjevic</strong> (Richard Montgomery) - # 6 in class of 2025. Gatorade and Prep Dig Maryland high school player of the year in 2024.</p>   <p><strong>Helen Frankovich</strong> (Justice) - # 8 in class of 2023.</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='377326' first='Elly' last='Vanlandingham']</strong> (Quince Orchard) - # 89 in class of 2026. Currently not competing in this event. </p>   <p>That's 26 colleges with 47 players linked to a college competing in the NCAA championship. I imagine California and Texas could eclipse that pretty easily.</p>   <p></p>   <p></p>   <p></p>   <p></p>

Below is a list of players who will compete in the NCAA. As a writer for Prep Dig for a couple years it makes me feel proud to see a number of ranked, as well as unranked players succeed at the highest level. In the beginning Maryland players did not get included in the rankings until 2024. There were some that filtered in but for the most part it was restricted to Virginia. Clearly, there were a lot of talented players that I was watching play in club ball that were being ignored. So, in 2024 I decided to make Virginia a more DMV site (DC/Maryland/Virginia). I also increased my ranking limit from 100 to 200.