Sleepers in NOVA for this upcoming season

I watched Madison Washington Madison Washington 5’8″ | CG Paul VI | 2026 VA play a couple of times this past summer, and she was extremely impressive. The day that caught my eye was watching her at the Fairfax Stars summer spectacular. She was active defensively and played as hard as anyone at the event. She is a high-IQ basketball player, and her passing was fantastic. She got to the rim and finished numerous times. She knocked down open shots and created much of her team’s offense. She is a sleeper that I see having an outstanding sophomore season.

Jalyn Childress was another player I watched at the Fairfax Stars summer spectacular, and she was super impressive. Lightridge is a young school, and their team is youthful. Jalyn was second-team all-district as a freshman and had a really good summer. Her best ability is her shooting ability. She has a great-looking motion and can get hot in a hurry. Jalyn is also a scrappy defender and will have a fantastic year. More people should pay attention to what she can do.

Chantilly is a team that could improve this year record-wise, and Alivia Tarry Alivia Tarry 5’7″ | PG Chantilly | 2026 VA will play a big part in that. Alivia is an intelligent PG who can create for herself and others. She has a good jump shot and does well in transition. Chantilly was super young but still played a lot of great teams close last year. The Concorde district is one of the most challenging districts in NOVA, and Alivia did more than hold her own as a freshman. She was second-team all-district, and she will build on that this season.

Centreville is going to be an excellent team. They have abundant talent, and many of their players are ranked here on prepgirlshoops. There is one player who isn’t on a ranking but will be one of the team’s most important players, and that’s Hannah Wakefield Hannah Wakefield 5’6″ | SG Centreville HS | 2024 VA . Unlike many of the other players I have on this list, she isn’t going to put up huge scoring numbers or see some expanded role. Hannah does a lot of the dirty work for this team. She knocks down open shots and rebounds well at her size. Centreville will play in big games towards the end of the year, and Hannah will pop out at you with her energy and defense. She’s a sleeper because she’s very seldom talked about, but when the time comes, she’ll be as important as anyone on the roster. It wouldn’t shock me if she hits a big shot in a critical moment or does something hugely impactful on the defensive side of the ball.

Broad run was one of the biggest surprises to me last year. They lost some significant pieces but were still a 14-win team. A big reason why was Claire Erny. Claire Erny was terrific for them last year on both ends. She’s a good athlete and does a lot of things well. She always played hard, and her fingerprints were all over the game. She was first-team all-district last year and will likely build on that this year. Broad Run is a team to watch this year.

Ella Negron Ella Negron 5’11” | PF Patriot HS | 2024 State VA is the only player on this list with her name in the rankings, but I still felt like she’s a little slept on. Ella will be the best player on what should be a good Patriot team. Ella has a good post-up and face-up game; she’s tough to stop when she gets to her left hand. Ella has a solid mid-range jump shot and is starting to develop a three-point shot. Ella moves well on defense and is a good ball-handler for her size. I could see her averaging 20 a game and being one of the best bigs in the area.