Kyle Williams' Super 25 high school girls basketball rankings for Feb. 1, 2026

Nzareth had quite the week. The Roadrunners knocked off Benet on the road on Wednesday and Carmel at home on Saturday.

The Roadrunners are led by forward Stella Sakalas. The do-it-all forward is one of the best players in the country and is headed to BYU next season. She and junior guard Sophia Towne draw a lot of the headlines for the Roadrunners.

But I wanted to highlight two players who are critical to the Roadrunners' success — juniors Sam Austin and Molly Moore. Austin is a heady cutter who knows the precise right time to jet toward the basket and make herself available. She's also relentless on the defensive glass, constantly going into the paint and bringing down tough rebounds.

Against Benet, in which Nazareth snapped Benet's 20-game winning streak, Austin hit a go-ahead three-pointer to give Nazareth the lead. Austin had six points and 10 rebounds against one of the best teams in the area.

Moore also shows up in ways that go beyond the box score. Her ball pressure in Nazareth's 50-42 win against Carmel stood out. Nazareth plays a zone defense as its base defense, but it's not a passive zone. Moore often puts pressure on the ball and creates disruption with her quick hands and relentlessness. She makes ballhandlers uncomfortable by crowding their space and making any pass they throw hurried and under duress.

Austin and Moore play crucial roles for a Nazareth team that is rounding into form at the right time. With Towne, Sakals and senior guard Lyla Shelton handling a large portion of the scoring role, the Roadrunners have the look of a team that can return to the IHSA Class 4A state championship.

Quinn Arundel wins GCAC Player of The Year

Mother McAuley is having a tremendous year, and senior guard Quinn Arundel is one of the main reasons for their success. She's a four-year varsity player who crossed the 1,000-point mark this season and is a rugged defender.

She was named the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Senior forward Delia Sullivan and junior guard Taji Alexa were named to the All-Conference team.

Games to watch

Fremd vs. Prospect, 7 p.m., Tuesday

Fremd is riding high after knocking off Naperville Central on Saturday. Senior Greta Thompson is one of the best scorers in the area and has continued to show out on Saturday, scoring 27 points and grabbing seven rebounds. The Vikings are currently third in the Mid-Suburban West.

Prospect has dealt with a litany of injuries this year, but still boasts two of the best players in the area in junior Zoe Black and senior Allison Linke. Linke leads the team in scoring (16.8 points), rebounds (11.8) and assists (3.6).

Hinsdale Central vs. Downers Grove North, 7 p.m., Friday

This will be a good game between two hard-nosed, defensive-minded teams. Downers Grove North won the first meeting 28-15 on Dec. 27.

The Trojans are led by junior Campbell Thulin, and the Red Devils are led by senior Katherine Skinner.

The Super 25, with record and last week’s ranking:

1. Nazareth (22-3) 3

Beat Benet and Carmel

2. Loyola Academy (25-2) 2

Beat Prospect and Glenbrook South

3. Benet (21-2) 1

Plays Maine South Monday

4. Waubonsie Valley (25-1) 5

Plays Neuqua Valley

5. Kenwood (20-6) 6

Plays Northside Wednesday

6. Mother McAuley (20-5) 7

Beat Marist

7. Naperville Central (21-5) 4

Loss to Fremd

8. Downers Grove North (23-2) 8

Plays Hinsdale Central Friday

9. Fremd (20-5) 11

Beat Naperville Central

10. Providence (24-3) 9

Plays De La Salle Monday

11. Marist (21-7) 11

Plays Nazareth Saturday

12. DePaul Prep (19-4) 12

Plays IC Catholic Prep Monday

13. Carmel (18-8) 13

Plays Benet Saturday

14. Maine South (20-6) 14

Plays Libertyville Saturday

15. Glenbard West (24-3) 15

Plays St. Charles North Tuesday

16. Hersey (14-6) 18

Beat Fremd

17. Glenbrook South (20-7) 16

Plays New Trier Friday

18. Libertyville (19-5) 17

Plays Maine South Saturday

19. Bolingbrook (18-4) 19

Plays St. Charles East Monday

20. Prospect (15-10) 20

Plays Fremd Tuesday

21. Lyons (15-8) 21

Plays Glenbard West Friday

22. Lake Zurich (18-9) 25

Beat Libertyville

23. Trinity (17-8) 23

Plays St. Francis Monday

24. Hinsdale Central (17-9) 24

Loss to Glenbard West

25. St. Charles East (16-9) 22

Plays Bolingbrook Monday