Fresh Faces in the Top 50 of the 2025 Ranking

There has been a lot of movement with the updated 2025 ranking, with over 100 players added for the first time. With all the movement, some players were bound to jump up in the ranking, such as the players highlighted here who are making their first appearance in the top 50.    [player_tooltip player_id='465514' first='Jakyra' last='Jackson'] is one of the best scorers in the state of Arkansas. She averaged around 25 points per game with the Barton Lady Bears during the regular season, helping them lock down a 1-seed in the 2A playoffs.   Jackson is deadly from both inside and outside. With her ball-handling ability, she can take anybody off the dribble and score through contact, whether that is driving in the lane or pulling up for a jumper.   The senior had 39 points against Rivercrest during the season, which is just another day at the office for her. If she finds her groove on the offensive end, the opposition's day is over, as she will not stop hitting shots.   [player_tooltip player_id='465514' first='Jakyra' last='Jackson'] will be one of the names to look out for in the 2A playoffs and she was very deserving to be well inside of the top 50.     [player_tooltip player_id='1186532' first='Audrey' last='Blair'] is one of the newest players added to the 2025 ranking, coming in at #27 in the state. Though she is committed to play softball at UCA, she is still an incredible hooper.   Blair made headlines when she scored 50 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a win over Lead Hill in early February. The senior has also surpassed 1,500 points, being a constant threat from the inside and outside.   Blair is a great 3-point shooter who will not hesitate to dial up a perimeter shot whenever the defense is late to close out. If the defense is on time to close out, she can simply drive past them and get to the bucket. She uses her toughness inside to box out her opponents and grab every rebound she can.   [player_tooltip player_id='1186532' first='Audrey' last='Blair']'s basketball career at Marshall appears to be over, as her team fell short of qualifying for the 2A playoffs. Despite that, she leaves behind a lasting legacy with the Lady Bobcats and has etched her name into the Arkansas high school girls' basketball record books.     Like Blair, [player_tooltip player_id='1195988' first='D'Mya' last='Eason'] made headlines after surpassing the half-century mark in a game against Warren at the beginning of the season.   Once Eason can get going from beyond the arch, it is hard for the opposition to slow her down. She is great when shooting from beyond off the catch, using a quick release and solid shot elevation.   Eason is one of the first players to consistently run out in transition for Lonoke. She scores a lot of easy points on the fastbreak, finishing through contact whenever it presents itself.   Like Blair and Marshall, [player_tooltip player_id='1195988' first='D'Mya' last='Eason'] and Lonoke just missed out on the 4A playoffs. However, Eason has written her name in the history books and will go down as one of the all-time great Lady Jackrabbits.     [player_tooltip player_id='465516' first='Stephan' last='Steen'] took a massive jump in the 2025 ranking, moving up from the Watch List to #40. She has been one of the better players coming out of the 3A classification this season and she looks to carry over her great play into the playoffs.   Heading into the playoffs, Steen had a 19-point outing against Fouke. Right before that, she had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals versus McGehee. Steen is capable of going for big games on both sides of the basketball, being a fantastic outside shooter and a tenacious perimeter defender.   [player_tooltip player_id='465516' first='Stephan' last='Steen'] can be one of the most dangerous players in these playoffs, so make sure to watch Dumas play Perryville in the first round.     [player_tooltip player_id='1051967' first='Za'Niya' last='Mooney'] is one of the top bigs in this class, and yet this is just her first appearance inside of the top 50.   Mooney helped her stock when she put up 54 points against Crossett in February, which seemed to be the month of 50-point games. The senior also surpassed 1,000 career points and rebounds during the year, thanks to some great individual performances throughout conference play.   Mooney can back you down in the post or she can catch the ball at the elbow and take the defense off the dribble. She can spin in the lane and finish through contact, putting back her shot if she does happen to miss. She can also step back and hit a jumper in space.   I do not see many weaknesses in [player_tooltip player_id='1051967' first='Za'Niya' last='Mooney']'s game. Hamburg had a rough season, but they were still competitive thanks to their star. I hope that someone at the next level sees exactly that.     Trammell was just outside of the 2025 ranking before this latest update, standing at #51. After having another solid season with Valley Springs, the senior stretch-4 has found herself in the top 50.   The John Brown commit surpassed 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds during January, cementing herself as one of the best players to come through Valley Springs.   Trammell has shot the ball well this season, being a nice weapon to have when she is used in pick-and-pop scenarios. She is capable of knocking down multiple threes a night, while also grabbing as many rebounds as she can.   College basketball at every level is following the NBA and the WNBA, where power forwards and centers need to be able to shoot from long distance. [player_tooltip player_id='1056365' first='Tayla' last='Trammell'] should be able to contribute right away for the Lady Golden Eagles, as her floor-stretching ability and her rebounding make her an important asset whenever she is on the floor.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093304' first='Alexis' last='Duck'] was also on the outside looking in on the top 50 of the 2025 ranking after the last update. With her great play during the 2024/25 regular season, it is not hard to see why she found herself at #44.   Duck is valuable with her 6'3" frame. She is versatile, being a threat to hit shots from outside while also being able to post up and knock down shots inside. She can also catch the ball along the perimeter and drive right at the defense.   With that long frame, Duck is also a great rebounder. Her 27-point, 11-rebound performance against White Hall back in January was up for the play of the week by SBLive.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093304' first='Alexis' last='Duck']'s regular season career is over, but she is not done playing in a Lady Panther jersey yet. Benton takes on Marion tomorrow, so make sure to see what this senior can do against that Lady Patriot defense.     Rivercrest's star point guard will not be able to tear up defenses in the postseason like she did during the regular season as Rivercrest just missed out on the playoffs. However, I believe that whoever [player_tooltip player_id='1056355' first='Destiny' last='Burks'] ends up with at the next level will be overjoyed with her ability to light it up on the court.   Burks averaged 18.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.8 steals per game in all 30 games for Rivercrest this past season. She is called upon to do a lot for the Lady Colts' offense, but she handles the challenge with confidence.   The senior guard has had plenty of games this season where she had large scoring outbursts. She had 41 points when I watched Rivercrest travel to play Osceola, lighting the defense up in the first quarter and the fourth. There are not many shots Burks does not like to take, especially from outside. When she sees one shot go in, you can go ahead and start waving a white flag.   [player_tooltip player_id='1056355' first='Destiny' last='Burks'] has shown that she can be an offensive juggernaut at times, which earned her a top-50 spot in the 2025 ranking.    This senior class is extremely talented and very deep. There are a ton of players inside the top 50 who plan on hooping at the next level, with many others possessing the potential to do so.

There has been a lot of movement with the updated 2025 ranking, with over 100 players added for the first time. With all the movement, some players were bound to jump up in the ranking, such as the players highlighted here who are making their first appearance in the top 50.