The Register's Iowa high school girls basketball preseason Super 10 rankings
Last season — for the second-straight year — an Iowa high school girls basketball team put together an undefeated record in Class 5A and won the state championship.
Two years ago, it was Johnston that went 26-0 and claimed the state title.
Last season, Pleasant Valley accomplished the same feat.
The individual talent statewide is higher than ever, and there are some teams with stacked rosters in 2023-24.
Here are the top 10 teams in Iowa ahead of the season’s first games on Friday.
1. Johnston
2022-23 record: 24-2
The Dragons made it all the way to the Class 5A championship game, where they finished as runners-up. Expect Johnston to up its game this season with a roster of returning contributors including Aili Tanke, Jenica Lewis and Aaliyah Riley. Add in Amani Jenkins, who transferred in from Des Moines North, and on paper the Dragons have all the pieces.
2. Dowling Catholic
2022-23 record: 20-5
Ava Zediker averaged nearly 20 points per game as a sophomore and Elli Muller had about 7.5 rebounds per game as a freshman. The Maroons had some other young players who stepped up last season. A little more experience could be the missing piece that Dowling needs to go further this year.
3. Ankeny Centennial
2022-23 record: 18-7
Centennial made it to the state semifinals, where the Jaguars held their own with then-reigning champion Johnston. Jaeden Pratt and Mya Crawford are both back, and they should take on an even larger role for the Jaguars this season.
4. Pleasant Valley
2022-23 record: 26-0
Sharpshooting Halle Vice graduated, but that doesn’t mean the reigning Class 5A state champions are out of the conversation. Reagan Pagniano averaged nearly 13 points per game as a sophomore, Jessie Clemons made more than 54% of her field-goal attempts, and Quinn Vice is poised to pick up where her sister left off.
5. Davenport North
2022-23 record: 21-3
The Wildcats roster boasts two of the top girls basketball players in the country. And it seems like Journey Houston and Divine Bourrage have spent the offseason improving their games even more. Davenport North was a young team that qualified for the state quarterfinals in 2023. With more experience, the Wildcats will be a problem for opponents this season.
6. Dike-New Hartford
2022-23 record: 26-1
It’s wild to think that the Petersen sisters will play volleyball in college, because they are so good at basketball. Payton Petersen led the Wolverines with 16.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, and Jadyn Petersen shot 57.3% from the field while averaging close to the same numbers as her sister.
7. West Des Moines Valley
2022-23 record: 15-9
Even with Elise Jaeger back for her senior season, the Tigers are kind of a question mark. But Valley was in the same situation last year — with lots of unknowns playing against the toughest competition in the state, and the Tigers fared just fine.
8. Cedar Falls
2022-23 record: 15-7
Grace Knutson helped Cedar Falls to 15 wins with 21 points and six rebounds per game. The Tigers return several other key pieces from last year, and if Knutson continues to produce like one of the best players in the state, Cedar Falls will certainly be competitive.
9. Waukee
2022-23 record: 11-12
Kirsten Hauck, Sophia Hope and Emilie Sorenson were a couple of juniors and a sophomore who found ways to compete against some of the metro’s best teams. With more experience from the past season under their belts, expect Waukee to have a winning record and then some this season.
10. Clear Creek Amana
2022-23 record: 18-5
Clear Creek Amana is one of the smaller schools on this list, but based on who the Clippers return, it’s clear that they are one of Iowa’s top teams. Ava Locklear has all the attributes of an on-court leader, and Averie Lower could be a player to watch after a successful freshman season.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The Register's Iowa high school girls basketball preseason Super 10
