New Jersey’s Top Freshman Shooters
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We haven’t talked much about Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey’s updated 2026 prospect watch list, so leave it to us in this article to tell you more about some of the best freshman in the state. This article is all…
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Continue ReadingWe haven’t talked much about Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey’s updated 2026 prospect watch list, so leave it to us in this article to tell you more about some of the best freshman in the state. This article is all about shooters, not just the best shooting guards, but the best perimeter shooters in the 2026 class.
Angela Wilber Angela Wilber 5'3" | SG Wildwood | 2026 State NJ – SG, Wildwood
Wilber shined as one of Wildwood’s specialized shooters this season, knocking down 33 three-pointers, second on the team behind Macie McCracken Macie McCracken 5'8" | CG Wildwood | 2025 State NJ . With nearly 58 percent of her offense coming from three, she’s really done well at picking her spots and cutting into bigger spaces to get better looks from three. Really impressive stuff so far from the guard.
Natalia Valdez Natalia Valdez 5'8" | SG Dwight-Englewood | 2026 NJ – 5-8 SG, Dwight-Englewood
Valdez was as consistent as you can ask a freshman to be for Dwight-Englewood, hitting 38 three-pointers in 24 games, a solid 1.3 a game to get her high school career started. Consistency is key and when she was finding her shots and getting in a rhythm, she was knocking down looks from just about anywhere on the floor.
Sidney Smith Sidney Smith 5'5" | PG Roselle Catholic | 2026 State NJ – PG, Roselle Catholic
Smith had one of the best seasons of any freshman in the state, and was near-automatic it seemed from three, hitting 53 on the season as she finished with over 400 total points. To average more than two a game is an accomplishment that upperclassmen will usually hit, but to see someone in their first season show this kind of domination from the perimeter is impressive.
Aletha Reynolds Aletha Reynolds 5'6" | SG Bernards | 2026 State NJ – 5-6 SG, Bernards
For a 5-6 guard, to be that close already to averaging a double-double is beyond impressive. Reynolds can do it all on the floor and she’s shown her shooting prowess without issue for Bernads, knocking down 35 in 23 games. She’s as creative a perimeter shooter as she is a presence near the basket.
Katie Liggio Katie Liggio 5'9" | SG Red Bank Catholic | 2026 State NJ – 5-5 SG, Red Bank Catholic
It would have been childish for us to write a list of the best freshman shooters in the state without including the Liggio sisters, especially Katie. She was one of the leading scorers for the Caseys and knocked down 41 threes on the year as a freshman, an impressive total for one of the more college-ready players we’ve seen from the 2026 class. She plays with poise and maturity not seen from players at her level.
Tessa Liggio Tessa Liggio 5'7" | PG Red Bank Catholic | 2026 State NJ – 5-3 PG, Red Bank Catholic
Like the success of her sister, Tessa was as potent from beyond the arc despite not scoring as much. Nearly half of her scoring came from three as she really came into her own in the second part of the year for the Caseys. She’ll be getting more playing time next season which should translate well into more scoring and more three-point opportunities.
Camden Epstein Camden Epstein 5'10" | CG Ramapo | 2026 State NJ – 5-8 SG, Ramapo
Very much a jack of all trades on the court, Epstein had some great three-point shooting games toward the end of the season for Ramapo, knocking down 3 or more in two of her final four games of the season. She can easily shoot and hit threes in bunches and when she gets hot, there’s no use trying to guard her from the wing.
Brielle Alaba Brielle Alaba 5'9" | PG Cherokee | 2026 State NJ – 5-7 SG, Cherokee
Cherokee needed to find ways to replace Katie Fricker’s production from outside the arc, and like that, here comes Alaba, the freshman guard, who hit 27 in her first season with the Chiefs. For as great a shooter as Alaba is, she can do a bit of everything on the floor, playing great defense, facilitating the ball to teammates, the whole nine yards.
Madison Kocis Madison Kocis 5'11" | PG St. John Vianney | 2026 State NJ – 5-10 CG, St. John Vianney
Kocis came into her own in the wake of the injury to Zoe Brooks Zoe Brooks 5'8" | CG St. John Vianney | 2023 State NJ , putting herself in the spotlight as a go-to scorer, someone who can command the floor and someone who isn’t afraid to shoot from distance if the ball comes to her. She’s got a fantastic shot, such a fluid release, and an easy motion from start to finish. No wonder why she hit 43 three-pointers on the season.
Ava Aldarelli Ava Aldarelli 5'6" | CG Robbinsville | 2026 State NJ – 5-6 CG, Robbinsville
Aldarelli is an interesting player to dissect as someone who’s incredibly creating and savvy with the ball in her hands down low. She cuts through the lane and finishes as well as anyone in the 2026 class. That ability to weave plays just as much a role with her shooting as well, really finding her stride toward the end of the year where she hit 12 threes in her final eight games of the season.