Five-foot-7 point guard Payton Starwalt Payton Starwalt 5'7" | PG West Albany | 2027 State OR is the top shooter in Oregon. A hard worker. Consistently drains logo threes and forces teams to pick her up in the backcourt. Added a step-back, fadeaway three to her bag over the summer. Excellent vision, launches full-court assists, and makes the half-court entry pass. Earned All-League First Team as a sophomore. Starwalt has multiple D1 offers, including one from Marquette in October.

2024-25 AVG: 22.3 PTS, 7.2 AST, 3.8 STL

FBC Oregon Tropics 5-foot-7 point guard Payton Starwalt Payton Starwalt 5'7" | PG West Albany | 2027 State OR put on a top-ranked performance and displayed high IQ game management to win when it mattered at the HoopSource Memorial Day Championships. The West Albany sophomore (2027) averaged 22 points, 10 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3 steals at the tournament and willed her team to win the 17U title (she averaged 23.2 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals during her spring club season). Starwalt was picked up full-court and face-guarded. Under fatigue and high-pressure defense, Starwalt maintained mental and physical toughness, took care of the ball, and was a playmaker on both ends of the court. She hit her signature deep threes, finished downhill through contact and the foul, and hit a nice turnaround fadeaway middy. She facilitated the offense, driving and dishing, whipping crosscourt passes to perimeter shooters, and getting the ball inside to the big in a variety of ways. She played tough defense, tipped passes, and boxed out to win defensive rebounds. She went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line late in the championship game to maintain a single-possession lead until the final whistle. Starwalt took a lot of contact, persevered, and got the job done. If she can accomplish what she does now with her small frame, imagine what she can do when she gets stronger. Starwalt has multiple D1 offers, with a recent one from Colorado State.

West Albany sophomore Payton Starwalt Payton Starwalt 5'7" | PG West Albany | 2027 State OR is a shooters shoot shooter, her middle name is Efficient, and she’s known for her signature pull-up logo three. The 5-foot-7 point guard knocked down 100 three-pointers at a 44% clip and was named to the 5A All-State Second Team this season. But Starwalt is more than an elite shooter. She’s a playmaker who facilitates offense for herself and her teammates by stretching the defense, beating her defender on the dribble, driving the open lanes, reading the floor, and making the right read. Starwalt is one of the top in the state in points created per game (39). She averaged 22.3 points, 7.2 assists, and 3.8 steals and was named to the First Team in the Mid-Willamette, Oregon’s most competitive 5A conference, her sophomore year. Starwalt has multiple D1 offers.

West Albany sophomore Payton Starwalt Payton Starwalt 5'7" | PG West Albany | 2027 State OR is a point guard who can score. She has excellent playmaking abilities and can efficiently hit the three from deep. Starwalt is a strong passer and makes the right read on offense to find the open player with the highest reward opportunity. She has the green light to shoot anywhere beyond the arc, stretching the defense. She can get by the first defender and drive and dish or get creative downhill with a scoop layup. Starwalt is a great guard defender, poking the dribble and tipping the pass.

Topping our first 2027 rankings, Payton Starwalt Payton Starwalt 5'7" | PG West Albany | 2027 State OR was a force in her freshman season and will no doubt continue to improve and impress over the next three years. Making the cut for several national watchlists and rankings, Starwalt is without a doubt a Division I talent, especially thanks to her lights out outside shooting that seems unstoppable against most teams. Her command of the floor and vision on both ends are impressive, with some already comparing her skillset to Caitlin Clark’s. Moving over from Crescent Valley to West Albany, Starwalt is bound to have a sophomore campaign that you won’t want to miss.