She's Got Game: 12 Greater Taunton girls basketball players to watch this winter

TAUNTON — Another high school basketball season is nearly upon us in the Greater Taunton area.

Last winter, Bridgewater-Raynham (19-4) were once again the area's top team, cruising to their seventh straight league title and four straight undefeated season and making it all the way to the Division 1 Elite Eight. Dighton-Rehoboth (15-6) also qualified for the postseason following another strong league campaign before falling to Grafton in the Division 2 Round of 32.

After losing 2021-22 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball Player of the Year Kameron St. Pierre to a transfer, Taunton (5-15), under first-year head coach Gretchen Rodrigues, put in some solid outings with a young squad while Bristol-Plymouth (2-18) went through a rebuilding year with a young squad gaining valuable varsity minutes.

This winter, the Trojans will be without 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball Player of the Year Natalia Hall-Rosa after she transferred to The Rivers School, but retain much of the rest of their core. The Tigers will look to build on their progress in Rodrigues' second season at the helm as they too return many of their players. The Craftsmen and Falcons both have new coaches at the helm, with former Diman assistant Mike Furtado heading up Rt. 24 to take over at B-P while Jon Pacheco was elevated from assistant to head coach at D-R.

With the stage set for another action-packed campaign, here's 12 Greater Taunton area girls basketball players to keep an eye on this winter:

Chelsea Bousquet, Taunton

The junior guard is back for her third season of varsity ball and looking to grow as a player after establishing herself as a key part of the Tigers last winter. She kicked off the 2023-24 campaign with a nine-point performance against Sharon and dropped 11 on Attleboro last year. Look for her to continue to help move the ball around for Taunton and score when called upon.

Taryn Campbell, Taunton

The sophomore guard returns after an impressive debut campaign last year, one in which she was named a Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball Second Team All-Scholastic. She kicked off this season with an eight-point performance against Sharon, while last year she put up 11 points against New Bedford, King Philip and Mansfield. Expect her to continue to grow as a player and further establish herself as a key piece in the Tiger offense.

Cali Melo, Taunton

The senior guard returns for her final season where she once again looks set to be the offensive catalyst. She dropped 10 points in the season opener against Sharon after scoring 17 against the Eagles last year as well as 16 against King Philip and 15 against North Attleboro. A two-year captain and one of Taunton's top three-sport athletes, expect Melo to utilize her combined leadership skills and athletic ability to help lead the Tigers to victory this winter.

Reese Bartlett, Bridgewater-Raynham

The Colby-bound senior guard returns for her final season after an impressive junior campaign that saw her average 10.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. A 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball All-Scholastic, some of her most notable outings last winter included 19 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and two assists against North Quincy, 19 points, six rebounds and three assists against Mansfield and 12 points off four 3-pointers and 10 rebounds as well as five assists and four steals against Newton North in the Round of 16. Quick and great at shooting from range, the two-year captain had 12 points and two rebounds in her season debut against Rockland. Expect her to once again be at the forefront of the Trojan offense this season.

Brenna Woodbury, Bridgewater-Raynham

The junior guard and captain is another key part of the Trojan offense, and put that on full display in the season opener against Rockland with a career-high 18 points as well as seven assists, six rebounds and six steals. A 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball All-Scholastic, she truly made a name for herself last year averaging 7.9 points per game while scoring 15 against Dartmouth and 12 against both Brockton and Needham. Woodbury is quick and possesses strong court vision, and should be in store for a big winter season.

Camden Strandberg, Bridgewater-Raynham

The sophomore guard looks set to establish herself as a key part of the Trojans after starting off the season with 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocks against Rockland. The 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Strandberg is quick and elusive on the court. Expect her to make the most of her opportunities this winter to become one of the main contributors to B-R's success.

Photos: Bristol-Plymouth narrowly falls to Norfolk Aggie in season opener

Emma Ericson, Bristol-Plymouth

The sophomore guard looks set to establish herself as a key part of the Craftsmen offense, scoring a joint team-best four points in the season opener against Norfolk Aggie. Praised by coach Mike Furtado for her stability, shooting and athleticism, the three-sport athlete should be poised for a breakout season for B-P this winter.

Dayna Mbugua, Bristol-Plymouth

The senior captain and center looks set to once again be an offensive catalyst for the Craftsmen, scoring a joint team-best four points in the season opener against Norfolk Aggie. Praised by Furtado for her great size and energy, she is capable of both scoring and forcing turnovers in the paint. Expect her to be a leader both on and off the court for B-P this winter.

Gianna Viola, Bristol-Plymouth

The senior captain and guard returns for her third and final campaign with the Craftsmen. Praised by Furtado for her experience, shooting and athleticism, expect her to be a leader both on and off the court for the backcourt this winter.

Reese Jefferson, Dighton-Rehoboth

The sophomore earned the starting point guard position for the Falcons and looks set to lock it down this winter. Expect her to make the most of the opportunity while carving a key role for herself in this D-R squad.

Lucy Latour, Dighton-Rehoboth

The senior captain and forward is currently sidelined with a leg injury suffered during the volleyball season, but is expected to return soon and should make an immediate impact on the Falcons upon doing so. A 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball All-Scholastic, she averaged nine points and 11 rebounds per game last winter with a 16-point performance against East Bridgewater and 15-point performances against Somerset Berkley and Fairhaven. Another one of the area's top three-sport athletes, expect her leadership and athletic prowess to shine through once again for D-R this winter.

Haleigh Kelley, Dighton-Rehoboth

The junior forward is back for the Falcons this winter and looks set to be a leader on forcing turnovers once again. Last season, Kelley had four steals against Nauset as well as two steals against Boston Latin, East Bridgewater and Bourne. Another stellar three-sport athlete, expect her to continue to be crucial in turnovers while also contributing more on offense.

Honorable Mention

Jillian Doherty, Taunton

Lexi Haywood, Taunton

Libby Cronin, Bridgewater-Raynham

Cassidy Flanders, Bridgewater-Raynham

Christele Derogene, Bristol-Plymouth

Amanda Beatrice, Bristol-Plymouth

Caraline Corvi, Dighton-Rehoboth

Julia Mello, Dighton-Rehoboth

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Watch out for these 12 Greater Taunton area girls basketball players