Top Arkansas Player by County: Arkansas-Conway Counties

The series of identifying the top player in each county in Arkansas is back! With the 2026-27 season quickly approaching, let's take a look at who I believe could be the top player in each county.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Arkansas County</h2>   The only schools in Arkansas County are DeWitt and Stuttgart. Both teams have great talent, but I have to give the nod to a newcomer from the county seat, [player_tooltip player_id='1092584' first='Morgan' last='Thornton'] of Stuttgart.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/morgan-thornton/" id="1092584">[player_tooltip player_id='1092584' first='Morgan' last='Thornton']</a>   Thornton is entering her first and only season with Stuttgart after transferring from ESTEM in Little Rock. Knowing how the Lady Ricebirds used Brooklyn Owens as a 20+ point per game scorer last season, I have no doubt she will be utilized the same way.   Thornton is a tremendous athlete who is impossible to stop in the open floor. With her speed, athleticism, and length, I don't seen many opponents stopping her in transition. In the half-court, Thornton will be able to stretch defenses out with her shooting, as well as take advantage of holes in the defense with her slashing ability.   She may be a newcomer, but I'm not sure if anyone will be able to handle Stuttgart's and Arkansas County's [player_tooltip player_id='1092584' first='Morgan' last='Thornton'].   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ashley County</h2>   Ashley County in South Arkansas consists of Crossett and Hamburg High Schools. Both teams have young, talented players, but Hamburg has one player who have potential to be one of the best players in the region. That player is [player_tooltip player_id='1445518' first='Paisley' last='Swaim'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/paisley-swaim/" id="1445518">[player_tooltip player_id='1445518' first='Paisley' last='Swaim']</a>   Swaim mostly played on the JV squad as a freshman last season, and honestly, she should've been called up to varsity earlier in the year. Swaim is an excellent attacking forward, who can go downhill and attack double teams. She finishes well through traffic and has a tight handle, making it very tough for defenses to poke the ball away.   Though Swaim's varsity experience is limited, she shined when she was in, and if she is given the keys to the offense, she is going to be a name impossible to tune out this coming season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Baxter County</h2>   Baxter County is small, but has three schools with tremendously compelling talent. Mountain Home is coming off a great season, but they lost a lot of their veteran experience after 25/26. Cotter and Norfork are both small, but they have some great guards, and as of now, Cotter's [player_tooltip player_id='1245249' first='Myah' last='McNutt'] comes out on top.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/myah-mcnutt/" id="1245249">[player_tooltip player_id='1245249' first='Myah' last='McNutt']</a>   McNutt is coming off a fantastic scoring season for Cotter, and she played like she could do no wrong. McNutt can crash the boards, as she did in a double-double performance against Viola in February, putting up 15 points and 10 boards, and against Cedar Ridge in December (18 points and 10 rebounds). But she can also score at will, just like when she put up 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 steals against a great Jasper squad.   Those 6 steals should also tell you how good of a defender McNutt is. Last year, she had a 5-block performance against Marshall and a 4-block contest against Tuckerman.   I can see McNutt being in store for a massive junior season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Benton County</h2>   Benton County is one of the most highly-populated counties in the state, but despite the size, small squads like Haas Hall and Thaden have young talent and are up-and-coming. However, the 6A West teams, Rogers, Rogers Heritage, Bentonville, and Bentonville West stand out, with Bentonville's [player_tooltip player_id='1090896' first='Jensen' last='Thrasher'] taking the mantle as the top player in the county.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jensen-thrasher/" id="1090896">[player_tooltip player_id='1090896' first='Jensen' last='Thrasher']</a>   Thrasher was hurt for a good portion of her sophomore season, but when she was in, she was spectacular.   Thrasher can score in a variety of ways. She can hit shots from the outside, whether off the bounce, off the dribble, contested, or uncontested. If there is a driving lane to be exploited, she will do that without failure, as she loves to get inside the lane for a floater, or to engage the second line of defense and score a tough bucket. The rising junior also has no trouble dishing it off to an open teammate.   Bentonville's star point guard leads a stacked guard room, and I think that if she is healed up and ready to go this coming year, those Division I offers are going to keep rolling in.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Boone County</h2>   Lead Hill, Harrison, Omaha, Alpena, and Valley Springs are solid teams, but Bergman has a deep team, with [player_tooltip player_id='593775' first='Brinley' last='Collins'] leading the pack.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brinley-collins/" id="593775">[player_tooltip player_id='593775' first='Brinley' last='Collins']</a>   Collins is more than capable of putting up ridiculous stats night in and night out. To start the 2025/26 season, Collins was averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals per game. But her shooting was absolutely ridiculous, hitting 75% of her shots, 46% of her triples, and shooting 82% at the charity stripe.   Now of course, Collins has since cooled off, but the effectiveness stayed the same. She could not be stopped when shooting from the perimeter, and she continued to feast throughout the season in the paint. Playmaking, rebounding, and defending, were all still strengths for the Lady Panther star as well.   Collins has a college basketball future, and I cannot wait to see where she ends up.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bradley County</h2>   Hermitage and Warren are two small South Arkansas schools with solid players, but Warren has a great amount a depth, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1209080' first='Bayleigh' last='Miller'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/bayleigh-miller/" id="1209080">[player_tooltip player_id='1209080' first='Bayleigh' last='Miller']</a>   There was plenty of evidence from last season as to why I believe Miller is going to be the best player out of Bradley County this year.   Miller had some great performances in 2025/26, like her 24-point, 14-rebound, 5-stock performance against Magnolia. More often than not, Miller was scoring efficiently, just like in her outing against Hot Springs, where she put up 19 points and 6 boards on 62% shooting from the field, and 75% on 2-pointers.   Miller is a force in the paint, and no one knows how to deal with her yet. Expect a big year out of her in 2026/27.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Calhoun County</h2>   Hampton is the only school in Calhoun County, the smallest county in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='1244344' first='Jakayla' last='Stephens'] is a dominant force and there is no doubt that she is county's top player.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jakayla-stephens/" id="1244344">[player_tooltip player_id='1244344' first='Jakayla' last='Stephens']</a>   At this level, Stephens has proven that she is practically impossible to stop. Offensively, she is collecting every board and scoring every one of her looks inside. On the other end of the floor, she is also grabbing rebound after rebound, but that defense is stellar.   Stephens takes pride in her defense, blocking shots with ferociousness and making it impossible for opposing bigs to back her down in the post thanks to her strength.   Stephens may be the best athlete across all sports in Calhoun County, because what she has done on the basketball court has been nothing short of incredible.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Carroll County</h2>   Green Forest, Eureka Springs, and Berryville are three underrated squads in Northwest Arkansas with great players. One player who stands out though is still a young prospect: Berryville's [player_tooltip player_id='1803375' first='Ellie' last='Asbury'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/ellie-asbury/" id="1803375">[player_tooltip player_id='1803375' first='Ellie' last='Asbury']</a>   Asbury had a great freshman campaign with the Berryville Lady Bobcats last season, and I would imagine she repeats that this coming year.   The 6'3" center has proven to be a lockdown post defender. She had 5 blocks against Kingston, in addition to 9 points and 10 rebounds. She also had 4 blocks on Gravette in January to go along with her 14 points and 9 boards. She does a great job defending without fouling by sticking her arms straight up. Because of her long wingspan, she blocks so many shots without even going for a block, which adds to what is a great standing reach.   Asbury is more than a shot-blocker, as she is a paint scoring beast inside. If Berryville can keep finding ways to get her the ball, she is going to have a breakout season as a sophomore.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chicot County</h2>   Dermott was a hard team to stop last year, but they had lost a lot of great senior this offseason, and so did Lakeside High School in Lake Village. Now, I believe incoming senior Sariyah Green of Dermott could end up having a strong season thanks to all of the openings.   Sariyah Green   Green's impact kind of remains a mystery as to what it might be this coming year, but I can make some educated guesses.   Green is a physical interior player who can get the job done on the glass by boxing out opponents hard. She is also a tough player to score against, thanks to her physicality and unwillingness to give up ground against an opposing forward or big.   This power forward essentially imposes her will every chance she gets, and that is something Dermott will need in 2026/27.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clark County</h2>   Clark County consists of Gurdon, Centerpoint, and Arkadelphia. Gurdon is a bit of a question mark, with a lot of younger players making up that team. Arkadelphia lost some senior leadership who could get buckets effectively, but bring back some solid role players who could take a big leap in 2026/27. However, Centerpoint may have the county's best player, and possibly best shooter.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/cali-pipkins/" id="1256323">[player_tooltip player_id='1256323' first='Cali' last='Pipkins']</a>   Like I mentioned earlier, Pipkins might be the best shooter in the county. This past season, she knocked down 60 3-pointers, which is the most in a single season in Centerpoint history.   Pipkins had some impressive performances throughout the season, including her 14-point, 5-rebound, and 10-steal outing against Camden Harmony Grove. She also had 17 points in a big win over Caddo Hills in November.   Obviously, Pipkins is a great outside scorer, but she can shut down opposing guards at the other end. If she has another season like she did in 2025/26, expect to hear some major buzz coming out of Southwest Arkansas.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clay County</h2>   Clay County is small, but all three of its schools--Corning, Rector, and Piggott--are busting at the seams with starpower. The team that takes the cake, however, is Rector, as [player_tooltip player_id='877661' first='Rylee' last='Wilburn'] is not only one of the best players in the region, but one of the best in the entire state.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/rylee-wilburn/" id="877661">[player_tooltip player_id='877661' first='Rylee' last='Wilburn']</a>   It's honestly no surprise that Wilburn is being considered as the top player in Clay County. She has proven time and time again that she cannot be stopped when the ball is in her hands. Wilburn can light it up from beyond the arc, but she has the length and quickness to beat a defender off the dribble and get inside for 2.   I talk a lot about her scoring, but Wilburn is also a great rebounder. She is often playing in the paint on defense with Rector, and she consistently shuts down any possibility of an opponent snagging an offensive board.   Wilburn's ability to impact the game in every aspect is just part of why she is one of the best talents in Arkansas.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cleburne County</h2>   For the last two seasons, Westside High School in Greers Ferry has been perhaps the best team in the county. But with the Lady Eagles coming up short in the 2026 1A title game and Quitman winning the 2026 2A title, who runs the show in Cleburne County? Concord is a solid squad to throw into the mix, and so is Heber Springs, as they are headlined by Harding commit [player_tooltip player_id='1090370' first='Riley' last='Farris'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/riley-farris/" id="1090370">[player_tooltip player_id='1090370' first='Riley' last='Farris']</a>   It's kind of hard for a player to top a season like what Farris had in 2025/26, but if anyone can do it, she certainly can.   In just her first season with the Lady Panthers, Farris averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. She shot 42% from the floor and 36% from three, while shooting efficiently at the free throw line. One of the highlights for Farris during the season though was in the playoffs, where she erupted for 37 points in a major playoff victory.   Farris is already committed to Harding University, and she is going to prove why they bothered offering her as an underclassman.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cleveland County</h2>   The Woodlawn Lady Bears are a solid squad, but Cleveland County's best has to come from Rison, and the county's best is [player_tooltip player_id='1180574' first='Teairra' last='Miller'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/teairra-miller/" id="1180574">[player_tooltip player_id='1180574' first='Teairra' last='Miller']</a>   Miller is coming off an amazing sophomore season with Rison. Throughout much of the year, she averaged 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and a whopping 10 steals per game. This was plenty to help her cement an all-conference and all-state selection, while also earning her first collegiate offer from Phillips CC.   Miller had some crazy statlines last year, including a 34-point, 8-rebound, 4-assist, and 12-steal performance against Crossett. Against Lonoke around the same time, she dropped another 30-bomb, with most of her buckets coming from behind the arc, hitting 7/9.   It's crazy that Miller is only just a junior and she has established such a profound bucket-getter reputation. I also would not want to see her guarding me at the other end, because she has proven that she will force you to cough up the ball.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Columbia County</h2>   Columbia Christian and Magnolia are up-and-coming teams, but Taylor and Emerson have some of the deepest rosters in South Arkansas. Taylor probably had 3-4 players I considered to take this mantle, but in the end, I could not ignore the evidence [player_tooltip player_id='1180791' first='Kagen' last='Gunnels'] has provided, proving that she may very well be the best in Columbia County.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kagen-gunnels/" id="1180791">[player_tooltip player_id='1180791' first='Kagen' last='Gunnels']</a>   Gunnels is a great all-around guard who puts together statlines that look more like a center's.   One of the games that sums up what Gunnels can do is the one she had against Maumelle Charter in November, logging 17 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. On offense, she loves to hit defenders with a pumpfake on the perimeter, take a couple dribbles in, and pull up for a mid-range jumper. The rising senior also loves to attack the basket, and she creates a lot of contact that way.   On the other end of the floor, Gunnels is going to grab every rebound she possibly can, while also playing some outstanding defense, forcing turnovers without any issues.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conway County</h2>   Conway County was tough to choose. Morrilton graduated great players, but they bring back some good players who could possibly be great with an expanded role. Sacred Heart always has great talent, and Nemo Vista is rich when it comes to promising players. However, Wonderview's [player_tooltip player_id='883555' first='Kyah' last='Simmons'] is without a doubt one of the most accomplished and greatest players in the 1A classification.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kyah-simmons/" id="883555">[player_tooltip player_id='883555' first='Kyah' last='Simmons']</a>   Simmons could not be stopped this past season. She put up 26.3 points, 2.1 assists, and 3.3 steals per game this past year, and she eclipsed 1,600 career points.   Simmons showed up in a big way numerous times last year, especially in the postseason. She scored 29 points against Dermott in the district tournament to allow Wonderview to advance.   Seeing what Simmons can do on offense is nothing short of incredible. She is already raking in the offers, but bigger schools need to start to take interest in Conway County's finest.

The series of identifying the top player in each county in Arkansas is back! With the 2026-27 season quickly approaching, let's take a look at who I believe could be the top player in each county.

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Top Arkansas Player by County: Arkansas-Conway Counties

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