Girls basketball: Who are this season's standout sophomores?

The class of 2025 is shaping up to be a pretty special one. Here are nine sophomores who are playing big roles in their girls basketball team's success.

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Sanyiah Littlejohn, Lansdale Catholic

Littlejohn has taken on an important role for Lansdale Catholic as the starting point guard for a team with state championship aspirations. She has excelled at distributing the ball, averaging six assists a game and running the offense, but has also been a contributor in every facet of the game. Third on the team in scoring, with an average of 10 points per game, Littlejohn is also pulling down 6 rebounds and 4 steals per game. She had 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in a recent win over Tatnall School (Delaware).

Lily Milewski, Conwell-Egan

Earlier this season, Milewski’s coach, Chris Brennan, described her as a ‘special player' who was just waiting to break out. How right he was. The 6-foot forward, who is also a volleyball standout, showed plenty of potential last year as a freshman. This season, though, she has shown how much of a dominant player she can be. In their PCL opener against Archbishop Wood, Milewski scored the Eagles’ first nine points, finishing with a team-high 16 points in a loss.

She had one of the biggest games of her young career against the defending Class 3A state champs Neumann-Goretti, scoring 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting from the field, along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. She posted double-doubles in both of the Eagles’ last two wins, contributing 18 points and 12 rebounds against Bonner Prendergast, and 11 points and 12 rebounds vs. George School. For the season, she is averaging 13 points, 8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Grace McDonough, Souderton 

Souderton already had plenty of elite scorers, but McDonough brings both speed and height to the Indians, who currently rank fourth in the District One 6A standings. At 6-2, the forward/center has a nose for blocks, swatting away three shots in a recent win, but also steals. McDonough has racked up eight steals in three recent games against Suburban One League opponents, all wins for Souderton.

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Priyanka Ponnam, George School

Few high school players, let alone sophomores, can claim to have received several Division-I offers. But very few players have the talent and drive of Priyanka Ponnam, who has offers from Harvard, Penn and Rutgers. The 6-2 forward is difficult to cover, but she is also a versatile player who contributes in all facets of the game. She started the season with a 20-point, 11-rebound game in the Cougars’ season opener, and in a recent Friends School League win, she had a team-high 14 points. In a game at the prestigious Brew Crew tournament, she posted 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Alena Cofield, Neshaminy

One of the most impressive facts about Cofield is that she never played organized basketball prior to high school. In a short time, Cofield’s role has grown immensely, and she is now fourth on the team in minutes at 24 per game. The 5-3 guard spent the offseason weight training and working on her game, and it’s paid dividends. She is second in steals, and in spite of her size, she leads Neshaminy in offensive rebounds and her defensive duties include guarding the opponent’s best scoring guard or wing. Head coach John Gallagher said “her growth in the last three months has been huge and I expect her skills to continue to grow.” Cofield was the defensive catalyst in a huge win over Souderton, helping keep the Indians to 32 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Gabby Bowes, Germantown Academy 

Bowes made her presence known as a freshman with her stellar 3-point shooting. The 5-10 guard solidified her role this season as the Patriots’ biggest threat from beyond the arc, highlighted in a win against Notre Dame Academy where Bowes hit the game-winning 3-pointer with under a minute remaining. In a recent victory over Neumann-Goretti, the defending PIAA Class 3A champions, Bowes had 9 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists to help the Patriots to a 52-46 win.

Talia DiMichele, Bensalem

The Owls’ young guard has proved to be a major scoring threat this season. She recently had one of the best games of her young career, putting up 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a win over Wissahickon. DiMichele has been especially proficient from the 3-point line, and has come on strong lately, scoring a team-high 14 points and three 3-pointers in a recent loss to CR North. Earlier this season, she connected on six 3-pointers in a game.

Emily Knouse, Archbishop Wood 

Knouse’s freshman season included a state championship, and that experience is paying off as she has taken on a bigger role as a sophomore. A talented all-around player with a knack for hitting 3-pointers at just the right time, Knouse has already received Division-I offers. In the Vikings’ PCL opener, Knouse accumulated 12 points, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds, and in a win at the Rose Classic, Knouse hit seven 3-pointers. In the Vikings’ last game, she sank eight 3s in a victory against West Catholic.. At 6-foot, Knouse is proficient at deflecting passes and her defensive prowess will be essential as the Vikings look to repeat as state champs.

Lil Metrick, Council Rock South

It didn’t take long for Metrick to put her name in the record books. In December, the Golden Hawks starting guard hit seven 3-pointers in a tournament win, setting a school record for 3s in a game. Metrick is averaging over 10 points per game, and has scored 18 or more in four games this season. While scoring is her forte, Metrick has made great strides on defense this year, and coach Blair Klumpp also appreciates her “versatility, tight handles and craftiness on her drives.”

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA Bucks Montco Girls High School sports basketball top sophomores