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After the fourth and final round was played last Monday after the release of our Dec. 22 rankings, the Nike TOC is now behind us. Vincent Cannizzaro Division champion Bishop McNamara is up to No. 3 after beating then-No. 1 Long Island Lutheran in the finals, which means there's a new No. 1 team in the nation.
MORE: 8 takeaways from Nike TOC
Here are The Sporting News national high school girls basketball rankings for the week of Dec. 29.
PREVIOUS RANKINGS: Preseason | Dec. 1 | Dec. 8 | Dec. 15 | Dec. 22
Top 25 High School Girls Basketball Rankings
1. Ontario Christian (CA) (14-0 – 2nd last week)
Nicole Mullen/Arizona Republic / USA Today Network/ Imagn
As we wrote last week, Ontario Christian was one of the biggest winners of the Nike TOC without actually playing in it. The Knights are now the only clear-cut national title contender with no losses besides DME Academy, and they also have as many opportunities for wins against ranked teams in the next few months as anybody. One of the craziest things about their 14-0 start is that they've done it as a somewhat undersized team with only four players – Kaleena Smith, Tati Griffin, Dani Robinson, and standout freshman Chloe Jenkins – averaging two PPG. That's because F Skylah Archer and C Layia King, who stand 6-0 and 6-3, weren't cleared to play until the CIF transfer sit-out period ended on Dec. 26. So it's no stretch to say that the No. 1 team in the country might be one of the most improved teams as well in the second half of the season.
2. DME Academy (FL) (12-0 – 3rd)
Sure, it hasn't played a brutally hard schedule compared to the other top-ranked teams so far. But for DME Academy to have won all 12 of its games by 20 points as the other national contenders have picked up losses by the week makes it a premier national title contender until anything changes. DME will have had nearly three weeks off from action when it picks back up against Assumption on Jan. 6.
3. Bishop McNamara (MD) (7-2 – 5th)
Like we said last week, the Mustangs' ranking stock is currently more vulnerable than those of other teams nearby in the rankings because of the Dec. 9 loss to St. Frances Academy, which has since lost twice. But now that the Mustangs have avenged their Long Island Lutheran loss to win the Nike TOC, are there three teams we'd take over them in a game tomorrow? Certainly not. They have won six straight and have the most impressive list anywhere of downed opponents: No. 4 LuHi, No. 5 Mitty, No. 17 Bishop Gorman, No. 23 San Ramon Valley, bubble team Friends' Central, and unranked powerhouses Newcastle and Albertus Magnus.
4. Long Island Lutheran (NY) (7-1 – 1st)
Despite being upset by Bishop McNamara in the finals, LuHi only affirmed its status as one of a few national title favorites in its Nike TOC run. It doesn't hurt that it also holds a win against the one team that it's lost to.
5. Archbishop Mitty (CA) (9-1 – 6th)
Nike TOC confirmed what the high school girls basketball world already knew: Archbishop Mitty is one of the best teams in the country even without its top player, and it might be the very best when 5-star senior McKenna Woliczko returns from injury. The Monarchs claimed third place in Phoenix last Monday with a 58-46 win over another national contender, Bullis.
6. Westtown (PA) (10-1 – 17th)
Our apologies to Westtown, who shouldn't have been docked last week for losing to eventual Clare Droesch Division champion FB Cresset at Nike TOC, as we have since been informed that FB Cresset and Cresset Christian Academy are technically separate entities. (Still an amazing title run for FB Cresset nonetheless.) With that said, the Moose will need some marquee wins soon to stay ranked so highly, and they'll have many opportunities in January including Bullis, IMG Academy, and DME Academy. They did defeat Example Academy National 54-42 last Monday to close the Nike TOC.
7. Legion Prep (TX) (7-1 – 4th)
The Bulldogs have a handful of big games in January including Kingdom Collegiate Academy, Example Academy National, and IMG Academy.
8. Sierra Canyon (CA) (11-1 – 7th)
Sierra Canyon stayed fresh last week with blowout wins against San Juan Hills and Rancho Cucamonga. With its injury to Jerzy Robinson notwithstanding, its biggest test of the season so far will come on Tuesday when it faces No. 14 Corona Centennial.
9. SPIRE Academy National (OH) (3-0 – 8th)
Still resting with a lot on the schedule for January and February.
10. Princess Anne (VA) (8-0 – 9th)
Princess Anne jumped into the fire on Saturday in the first round of the John Wall Invitational, where it beat South Garner 64-30. The Cavaliers' undefeated streak will be tested on Monday and possibly Tuesday as it faces St. Frances Academy next and probably Bullis if it wins.
11. Johnston (IA) (10-0 – 10th)
Speaking of undefeated streaks getting put to the test, Johnston faces unbeaten bubble team Valley on Friday in a battle of Iowa's top teams. Valley has played many of the same opponents as Johnston and beaten them just as handily, including a 59-40 win over a Dowling Catholic team that played the Dragons down to one possession.
12. The St. James Performance Academy (VA) (7-3 – 18th)
Why the leap for a dormant team? Westtown is back near the top, and Westtown's loss to FB Cresset at Nike TOC is what had dropped St. James several spots.
13. Tualatin (OR) (6-0 – 11th)
In a battle of unbeaten teams, the Timberwolves held off an upset bid from Washington powerhouse Davis by a score of 74-71 to open the Nike POA Holiday Classic. Up next is another tough unranked team in Mater Dei. Whichever team wins that will play Etiwanda or Benson Tech in the title game.
14. Corona Centennial (CA) (2-0 – 12th)
New-look Centennial's season is finally underway, and the Huskies left little room for doubt in obliterations of Camarillo and Carlsbad. Their non-league schedule is stacked with Sierra Canyon, Archbishop Riordan, Fairmont Prep, Francis Parker, Oakland Tech, and Holy Innocents' Episcopal.
15. Westlake (TX) (20-0 – 16th)
Westlake's undefeated season will be put to the test on Monday at the Leander Glenn Holiday Classic, when it faces Vandegrift and Tivy
16. St. Mary's-Stockton (CA) (10-0 – 20th)
The Rams handed Sumner its first loss of the season in their only game of last week. Looming on Saturday is a major challenge: a shot at an Etiwanda team that is currently ranked lower but just got two all-state transfers cleared to play.
17. Bishop Gorman (NV) (10-1 – Bubble)
From the bubble to No. 17 in one fell swoop. In the last week, Bishop Gorman beat Putnam City North 66-51 and Etiwanda 65-59 to win the Tarkanian Classic and has also made the championship game at the Las Vegas Classic, where it'll face No. 22 Clovis West. The Gaels' only loss was against none other than Bishop McNamara, and that loss hurts much less now that Bishop McNamara is No. 3 after winning the Nike TOC.
18. Grace Christian (NC) (14-0 – Unranked)
For the second time, MVA was upset by an excellent unranked opponent. This time it was Grace Christian, a familiar face after going 30-0 through a NCISAA title in 2023-24 with none other than Sarah Strong (UConn) leading the way before narrowly falling to IMG Academy at Chipotle Nationals. Grace Christian is once again unbeaten in 2025-26, so it was eligible to leap up to the top 25 unlike Faith Family Academy, which had two losses to unranked foes anchored by those teams' losses to unranked competition. The Crusaders have beaten other excellent teams besides Montverde Academy this season, including Newton, Holy Innocents' Episcopal, and Mt. Zion Prep Academy.
19. Montverde Academy (FL) (9-2 – 13th)
While another upset loss wasn't what the doctor ordered for the Eagles, at least the team they lost to, Grace Christian, is unbeaten. With an easier regular season schedule than usual, Montverde Academy won't have much room for error down the stretch of the season if it wants to return to the national title conversation.
20. St. John's (DC) (8-2 – 14th)
A drop for Montverde Academy means a drop for St. John's and Bullis. St. John's has opportunities for statement wins coming up starting with this week's Junior Orange Bowl Girls' Basketball Classic where it opens against Ohio powerhouse Olmstead Falls. The Cadets then face St. John Vianney before starting WCAL play, which is perennially an opportunity to build a case as a national title contender.
21. Bullis (MD) (8-3 – 15th)
Three losses is a higher number than Bullis probably expected before the turn of the calendar year, but they came against St. John's, LuHi, and Mitty. There are two problems currently hurting the Bulldogs' stock. One, most of the best teams they've beaten this season have seen their own stock drop after upset losses, such as IMG Academy and St. Francis (Alpharetta). And two, Montverde Academy, which has a win over St. John's, just took another upset loss.
22. Clovis West (CA) (16-0 – Bubble)
Rising up both the national and statewide ranks with zero losses is a familiar face in Clovis West, which has now beaten Millennium, Democracy Prep Agassi Campus, and talent-laden Texas prep school Kingdom Collegiate Academy to go with several other strong opponents. The Golden Eagles could plausibly rise another 10 spots or so just in the coming weeks, in large part thanks to Monday's battle with No. 17 Bishop Gorman – this week's other debuting team – in the Las Vegas Classic finals.
23. San Ramon Valley (CA) (11-2 – 21st)
Currently in the middle of a couple well-earned bye weeks. The rest of Wolves' regular season schedule won't be as challenging as the first half, but they do still have battles with Pinewood, Archbishop Riordan, and rival Carondelet remaining.
24. Democracy Prep Agassi Campus (NV) (6-3 – 22nd)
The Blue Knights' Achilles heel this season has been competition from Northern and Central California. They've lost threee of their last five games to San Ramon Valley, Archbishop Mitty, and now Clovis West.
25. Etiwanda (CA) (9-2 – 23rd)
Struggling mightily against Las Vegas competition, Etiwanda fell to Bishop Gorman in the Tarkanian Classic finals 10 days after losing to DPAC. But this past Saturday was the first time Etiwanda had its full crew, and it cruised past Lake Washington 68-44 with frontcourt stars Tess Oldenburg and Jaylee Moore available after the CIF's transfer sit-out period. Up next at the Nike POA Classic it plays unbeaten Benson Tech in the semifinals for the right to play No. 13 Tualatin or Mater Dei.
Sporting News high school girls basketball top 25 bubble
Archbishop Hoban (OH)
Arrowhead (WI)
Belleville (MI)
Bishop Ireton (VA)
Bradley Central (TN)
Dowling Catholic (IA)
Example Academy National (IL)
Faith Family Academy (TX)
Friends' Central (PA)
Hoover (AL)
Hopkins (MN)
IMG Academy (FL)
Incarnate Word Academy (MO)
Lincoln Christian (OK)
Menchville (VA)
Miami Country Day (FL)
Millennium (AZ)
Minnetonka (MN)
Monsignor Scanlan (NY)
Paul VI (NJ)
Providence Academy (MN)
Putnam City North (OK)
Red Bank Catholic (NJ)
Riverdale Ridge (CO)
St. Frances Academy (MD)
St. John Vianney (NJ)
Valley (IA)
Virginia Academy (VA)
Wagner (TX)
English (US)