We have officially closed the book on the 2025-26 Iowa girls high school basketball season with the crowning of state champions and individual all-state and player of the year awards being handed out by High School on SI.

Now, we take a sneak peek towards 2026-27 with a look at some of the top junior players in Iowa girls high school basketball. All numbers are from those listed on Bound.

Iowa Girls High School Basketball: Top Returning Juniors

Melina Snoozy, Sioux City Bishop Heelan

Snoozy was dominant this past winter again, averaging 21.2 points to lead all juniors while adding eight rebounds, three assists and over two steals per game.

Kylee Pexa, Dunkerton

In addition to her 19 points a game, Pexa contributed almost five steals, five assists and 3.5 rebounds a game.

Ainley Ulrich, North Union

Ulrich nearly helped the Warriors reach the state tournament this past year after posting 20 points with five rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.

Izzy Gilbertson, Mount Ayr

At nearly 21 points and over nine rebounds per game, Gilbertson is a tough opponent to slow down. She also blocked four shots a night with 3.6 assists and 3.6 steals.

Maryn Franken, Sioux Center

Franken posted 20 points per game with nearly nine rebounds while also averaging six steals, three assists and a block to her stat line.

Taryn Petersen, Exira-EHK

Petersen was just a shade under 20 points per game for her team, adding in over six steals, five assists and four rebounds.

Cora Sauer, Lake Mills

Lake Mills went as Sauer did, reaching the regional final before falling to Bishop Garrigan. She contributed 19.7 points, six rebounds, almost four steals and just under four assists a game.

Lizzy Frazell, Waverly-Shell Rock

Frazell and the Go-Hawks continue to make a strong statement, as she finished the year averaging 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

Addy Wolfswinkel, Cherokee Washington

Wolfswinkel recently committed to Omaha to play volleyball, but she is strong on the basketball court as well, averaging 19 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals.

Maggie McChesney, Glenwood

In addition to her 19.5 points per game, McChesney averaged eight rebounds, 3.5 steals, three assists and over a block.

KeaOnna Worley, Cedar Rapids Prairie

Watch out for a big senior season from Worley after producing 18 points, nearly five assists, over four rebounds and two steals.

Graclyn Eastman, Bishop Garrigan

Eastman and the Golden Bears reached the finals this past season in Class 1A, as she averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists.

Katie Muller, Dowling Catholic

The Maroons will lean heavily on Muller next year, as she steps in for sister Ellie Muller. This past year, she averaged 16.5 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and a steal.

Fayth Sullivan, North Polk

Sullivan and the Comets made it back to state after she averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three assists.

SAN DIEGO — Church Bells arrived at the perfect time.

Dylan Darling, the Idaho State transfer in the midst of a massive shooting slump, sent St. John’s to the Sweet 16 with a buzzer-beating, right-handed layup at the horn after the Johnnies had blown a 14-point lead.

Darling strutted after it dropped and was immediately mobbed by his teammates after clinching this dramatic 67-65, second-round victory over Kansas at Viejas Arena.

Darryn Peterson had pulled the Jayhawks even with 14.1 seconds left, and they were able to use four fouls to stall St. John’s because it was under the limit.

With 3.8 seconds left, St. John’s inbounded the ball to Darling, and he drove in for the game-winning basket. They were his only points of the game.

In mid-February, after Darling hit a game-winning 3-pointer at Xavier, Pitino joked that he had “balls the size of church bells.”

Boy, was he right.

St. John’s will meet Duke in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Washington, D.C., its first trip to that round since 1999.

Zuby Ejiofor led St. John’s with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Bryce Hopkins also had 18 points.

Ian Jackson had 10 off the bench.

Peterson scored 21 for Kansas.

The Red Storm have won 21 of their past 22 games.

For the first time in five games, St. John’s didn’t start on a big run.

The Red Storm reeled off an 11-0 run to take an early eight-point advantage.

They made three of their first four 3-point attempts, but then went ice-cold.

St. John’s went 5:45 without a point, and Kansas tied the game on the strength of a 9-0 burst.

Hopkins ended the drought with a 3-pointer that hit off the back rim and fell through.

Joson Sanon and Ruben Prey added 3s to help the Red Storm take an eight-point lead into halftime.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN’S STATS

Against bigger Kansas, St. John’s let it fly from deep, making 7 of 23 in the opening half.

They average 21 per game this season.

A major factor in the opening half was Bidunga being limited to 12 minutes due to two early fouls.

Defense carried the Johnnies over the first 20 minutes.

They held Kansas to 34.5 percent shooting and forced nine turnovers, which led to 12 points.

Peterson hit his first two 3-point attempts but scored only nine points in the first half on 2-for-6 shooting.

St. John’s methodically pushed the lead to 10 by the under-12 timeout as it continued to handcuff Kansas.

The Jayhawks had as many turnovers (four) as made field goals over the first 8:21 of the second half.

When Mitchell scored on back-to-back possessions, St. John’s lead had ballooned to 14.

Only 8:51 remained between the Johnnies and a Sweet 16 berth.

They didn’t know at the time how dramatic those final minutes would be.