Berkshire League’s Best

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the upcoming high school girls basketball season coming up, it's on us to provide the best content and analysis for what to expect within the New England region. We head to Connecticut and the Berkshire League, an eight-team league with some of the state's best emerging talent. We'll be discussing some of those players below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Maddie Topa - Northwestern (2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not shocking at all that we begin this article talking about Maddie Topa, a 1,500-point scorer and a multi-time all-state and all-conference selection poised for a massive senior year. She's the key cog in this Northwestern team without a doubt and has shown that over the past three years. Topa can score in a plethora of ways, outside-and-in on the floor, showcasing a true sense of leadership and dominance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='987594' first='Emily' last='Arel'] - Gilbert (2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're looking for breakout stars, Arel fits the billing and then some, finding her way into the spotlight in a big way as a junior. No one puts up 30-point games out of nowhere, and she's done a fantastic job of growing into the high school game. Arel isn't one to force her way into situations, but lets the ball come to her and will step up and score, or make a big play as it happens. Very balanced scorer and defensive threat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Emma Jackson - Nonnewaug (2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gone this season are standouts Juliette Nichols and Ireland Starziski, leaving a void in this Nonnewaug team this season that needs to be filled. Players are going to have to step up, and we think Emma Jackson is fantastic candidate to do just that. She had some great moments late in the season that really give us a vote of confidence in her. Able to score at multiple different levels and has a great level of maturity to her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">McKenna Hardisty - Nonnewaug (2026)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another consistent, a constant in the starting lineup for Nonnewaug last season that we expect will take a massive jump in production as a junior. Hardisty is very much in the same boat as Jackson in taking on a larger role. She's already gotten used to the feeling, having moved up from JV as a sophomore, so if that jump has gone as well as it has, we're expecting the same for her breakout season upcoming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lily VanOrmer - Thomaston (2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>VanOrmer is a multi-sport athlete, excelling both on the field and on the court. What we find intriguing about her game is her continued focus on the defensive side of the ball. If there was anyone on Thomaston last season to pinpoint as the defensive stopgap, it was VanOrmer, and with a number of seniors gone from the fray from last season, she'll have to be just as big of a piece offensively as she's been defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brooke Beaudoin - Thomaston (2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beaudoin is VanOrmer's counterpart on the floor, another senior leader that will be asked to step up in to a much larger role, though she's found a fantastic niche on her team to be successful and effective thus far. Very much a team player, but someone that's able to create on her own with space. Has the advantage of experience and maturity, having played in big games before, which should help in her overall success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tessa Dekker - Housatonic (2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Housatonic finished last season right at the .500 mark, but with some balanced scoring this season, the Mountaineers have a great chance to change that. Senior Tessa Dekker is going to be leading the charge, the crusade to push this team toward prominence in the Berkshire League, and she's easily carved out a name for herself over the past season, getting buckets and making game-winning or game-saving plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->