Best of Maryland reveals young, talented players; Mia Pauldo-led Morris Catholic (NJ) captures team championship over instate rivals

FREDERICK, MD – A national staple of girls’ high school basketball in the summer time, before there even was an NCAA Scholastic Viewing Period, college coaches flocked to the mountains of Western Maryland for the Best of Maryland event.

This year’s lineup featured multiple state champions, as 22 teams gathered from 8 states and the District of Columbia. As always, there was a mix committed rising seniors, nationally renowned players, and youngsters just starting out their high school careers.

Shoutout to this year’s champion, Morris Catholic out of New Jersey. Coach Billy Lovett’s squad topped New Jersey rival Red Bank Catholic 62-54 in Saturday’s final showdown. Morris Catholic is headlined by the dynamic twin backcourt of Mia and Mya Pauldo, but there is depth on the roster, young and old. 2027 forwards Jax Edelman and Morgan Fulston both have bright futures, along with classmate Anastasia Bonfante as a lead guard. Tatianna Collins (2025) and Kennedy Brown (2026) both bring some physicality, athleticism, and some of that attack mode mind set as well.

Quick Hitters

And now, as we always do, here are some quick hitters about a handful of the standout performers from this year’s event. We will see you all in July as the ball keeps bouncing

 Asia Adams – 2027 – 5-8 – Point Guard – Sanford – Still young but caught some eyes with a strong showing here…Solid handle in traffic and showed the ability to split defenders off the bounce…Crossover can be dangerous…Also hit the three…Confidence is there

Makaila Asamoah – 2025 – 6-0 – Forward – Pickerington Central – A bully at times…Vocal on D and shows some leadership intangibles…Not afraid to bang inside…Finishes through contact…Can be a true enforcer in the paint

Brooke Bender – 2025 – 6-0 – Wing – Anthony Wayne – Hits big shots, including a game winning three at the buzzer down by two…Strong, physical, and versatile…Definitely gaining traction and her play here helped

Quinn Boettinger – 2025 – 6-3 – Post – Perkiomen Valley – Navy commit…Strong post…Good passer from the interior…Slid finisher and light on her feet for her size…Also can hurt you from the outside knocking down the occasional three

Alex Brown – 2025 – 6-2 – Post – Osbourn Park – Mobile big who definitely blocks her share of shots…Takes the 15-footer…Comfortable with a couple dribbles out on the perimeter as well

Tessa Carman – 2025 – 5-11 – Wing – Red Bank Catholic – Big guard status, and plays with plenty of power packed in…Spin into the fade away J in the paint is a problem…Big and physical off the bounce…Nice hands…Will post smaller defenders

Delaney Dennis – 2027 – 6-2 – Forward – Denver East – Tall, lanky forward with plenty of basketball still ahead of her…A little catch and shoot from three is nice…Smart…Showed some good footwork inside

Jax Edelman – 2027 – 6-0 – Wing Forward – Morris Catholic – Wing forward type who has the makings of a stretch 4 at the next level, shooting the three-ball at her size…Solid skill wise and likes to spot up…Defends inside some

Grace Galbavy – 2025 – 6-0 – Wing – Perkiomen Valley – Always has been able to get her share of layup opportunities with her mix of size, speed, and ball handling ability…Loves the three-ball on the left side of the floor in particular…Doing a nice job of getting that jumper off quicker too…Rebounds on both ends

Julia Hall – 2025 – 6-0 – Wing/Forward – Magnificat – IUPUI commit…Can play on the perimeter or down inside, whatever is needed…Pushes with some pace in the open floor…Showed range beyond the college line

Mairead Hearty – 2026 – 6-4 – Post – Denver East – Can’t miss her on the court at this size…Can take a couple dribbles to start the break on her own…Strong finishing with either hand…Can seal, catch, and score it

Amirah Jordan – 2027 – 5-3 – Point Guard – Sacred Heart Academy – Does a great job as a PG setting up her teammates and making players around her better…No look dimes in transition…Big time hang time for a small guard…Understands that she can also play side to side and retreat to create space…Pull up game has evolved

Addison Kincaid – 2025 – 6-1 – Forward/Post – Sacred Heart Academy – Can get out and move defensively…Solid hands and a good passer off the bounce for a big…Will surprise you with her ups…A bit of a sleeper heading into her senior year

Emma Knouse – 2025 – 6-0 – Wing – Archbishop Wood – Saint Joseph’s commit…Knockdown shooter with size and strength…Balanced and takes good shots…Not afraid to get physical on defense

Katie Liggio – 2026 – 5-7 – Guard – Red Bank Catholic – Scores it in different ways…Deceptively quick…Soft touch on the runner…Nice showing

Stella Lockhart – 2026 – 6-0 – Forward – St. John Vianney – Light on her feet and handles like a guard at this size…Really good footwork…Can shoot the three and did so consistently through the event…Some face and attack from the short corners…Moves well in the press defensively

Camille Nesmith – 2026 – 6-3 – Post – St. John’s College – Stock rising after a weekend like this from her…Will bang in the post defensively, even though she doesn’t look like the strongest big out there physically…Challenges plenty of shots with that length too…Runs rim to rim…Nice face and drive, lowers her shoulder and turns the corner…Flies through the air to board…Doesn’t hesitate, just gets the ball and goes…Has some burst, face up post all day

Sara Nezaj – 2028 – 5-7 – Point Guard – Albertus Magnus – Super fun to watch…Slices through traffic and finds teammates in tight spaces…Has the hangtime to finish…Turns the corner very often off the dribble…Sticks the three-pointer…Good young lead guard to know

Zaelinh Nguyen-Moore – 2026 – 5-9 – Guard – Altoona – Threads the needle with the bounce pass…Good floor vision…Athletic…Talks on defense…Has a commanding presence about her

Mia Pauldo – 2025 – 5-7 – Point Guard – Morris Catholic – Stud PG who has always had that alpha mentality…Gets downhill and then rises right up with the pull up J….IQ and passing always top notch…Absolute jet with the ball in her hands

Leah Pike – 2026 – 5-11 – Combo Guard – Anthony Wayne – Poked the ball away from opposing guards on more than one occasion…Can be a floor general offensively…Knocks down the three when the opportunity arises…Makes heads up plays…Quietly good and starting to level up heading into junior year

Emma Schaefer – 2027 – 5-11 – Wing – Olmsted Falls – Gets lots of lay ups by moving without the ball…Skilled and showed ability to attack from the perimeter on the face up…Smooth to the rack for her age and size

Julia Scott – 2026 – 6-3 – Post – Albertus Magnus – Impact post prospect…Catch and finish on the move and in traffic with regularity…Seals well for position and has a nice set of hands…Plays hard…Came up with some steals on lazy passes

Emma Seckinger – 2027 – 5-9 – Wing – Archbishop Wood – Young guard on the upswing and getting better every time out it seems…Length and a nice first step off the bounce makes her intriguing…Had some really nice takes

Samia Snead – 2026 – 5-6 – Guard – Osbourn Park – Made things happen on both ends…Runs in transition…Spots up for three and can get hot out there…Also showed a mid-range jumper…Vocal

Jada Snow – 2025 – 5-11 – Wing – Sanford – Usual business for the strong guard who can shoot it from the outside…Combination of size and shooting ability can be a nightmare for opponents…Attacking the basket with more frequency and puts her physical ability to good use when she gets into the lane

Morgan Stewart – 2026 – 5-8 – Point Guard – St. John’s College – Continues to raise her level of play and colleges are taking notice…Elevates in the lane to score and has a really nice touch on the pull up…Makes hustle plays…Good athlete…Broke the press by herself and went straight to the rim to score

Blossom Wallace – 2026 – 6-1 – Wing – Pickerington Central – Impressed across many facets of the game…Vocal on D and defends multiple positions…Can get out and hedge or switch ball screens as warranted…Gets out in the passing lanes…Face up game is also good…Can attack and finish in a crowd…Taking the three on the move with regularity…Physical maturity with a game to go along with it

Natalie Wetzel – 2025 – 6-3 – Forward – Peters Township – At 6’3 making things happen off the dribble and making some outside shots, there’s plenty to like…Skilled and competitive…Built to play at a high level in college no doubt

Sofia Wilson – 2025 – 5-7 – Point Guard – Magnificat – Nice passer in transition, finding her rim runners on more than one occasion…Smart floor general type…Crafty too, able to look defenders off then make the pass right on cue

Rayne Wright – 2025 – 6-0 – Guard – Manchester – Has really developed into a strong leader heading into senior year…Aggressive nature is a huge plus…Good size for a guard and can handle the PG duties some too…Blocks and steals defensively, definitely brings the effort on that end…Can hurt you offensively from the outside or on the attack…Really effective spin moves in her bag.