Kyle Williams' Super 25 high school girls basketball rankings for Feb. 15, 2026

Kenwood is peaking at the right time.

Coach Andre Lewis said that his team played its best defense in the city championship on Friday against Butler. The Broncos hounded Butler and made every shot difficult for the Lynx.

"One thing that always travels well is good defense," he said.

If the Broncos bring that defensive tenacity into the state playoffs, the Broncos will be a formidable team going forward. You can project what seniors Danielle Brooks (16.3 points per game) and Darreyelle Smith (9.6 points and 7.7 rebounds) are going to bring. offensively. But it was the Broncos' supporting cast that was impressive on Friday.

Freshman Janiah Daniel was impressive in her ability to attack the glass. She did a solid job of catching passes around the rim, and if she continues to improve as a finisher, she'll give the Broncos another offensive threat.

The defending state champions open the IHSA Class 4A state playoffs against Lindblom on Monday, and if Kenwood wins, it would face Hinsdale Central on Thursday for the regional championship. The true showdown would come in a potential sectional semifinal matchup against Downers Grove North.

IHSA State playoffs

IHSA State playoffs

The Hinsdale Central sectional is stacked with competition. The top-six seeds are Nazareth, Downers Grove North, Kenwood, Lyons, St. Ignatius and Young. It's a loaded field that could set up some intriguing matchups as the playoffs progress.

If both Lyons and St. Ignatius each win their semifinal games, it'll set up a regional finals matchup between the two teams. The Wolfpack are battle-tested after making it to the Class 3A state championship last season. Senior guard Gabby Hinton is a stabilizing force, and junior forward Kaylee Clarke is averaging eight points and 10 rebounds.

Lyons has dealt with injuries, most notably to senior forward Emma O'Brien, which is a big loss for the Lions because of O'Brien's ability to score in a multitude of ways while anchoring the defense. Without her, the Lions still have enough to advance in the playoffs with senior forward Gwen Smith and freshman guard Kennedy Moore.

If Nazareth beats Riverside-Brookfield on Tuesday, then it will have one of the toughest regional finals matchups if Young beats Reavis. Young has been a roller-coaster this season, but they were able to finish the CPS portion of its season emphatically with a 51-36 win over Lane.

Young has a two-headed duo at guard with sophomores Harmony Cooper and Yanni Smith. Sophomore forward Jordyn Ellis is an athletic forward who can make a considerable impact with her length whenever she’s on the floor. Junior forward Neelah Leech is also an important connector on both ends of the floor.

A potential Young-Nazareth matchup would be very intriguing. Nazareth is one of the best teams in the area, but has had moments of offensive stagnation. But the Roadrunners are an experienced group led by BYU commit Stella Sakalas, one of the area's best players. She is a dynamic talent who has demonstrated that she can be a force in the playoffs.

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

1. Nazareth (28-3) 1

No. 1 seed in Hinsdale Central sectional

2. Loyola Academy (28-2) 2

No. 1 seed in Park Ridge sectional

3. Kenwood (24-6) 5

Won CPS city championship

4. Waubonsie Valley (28-3) 3

No. 2 seed in Aurora sectional

5. Benet (24-4) 4

Plays Plainfield East Tuesday

6. Mother McAuley (22-6) 6

No. 1 seed in its sectional

7. Downers Grove North (27-2) 7

Plays Jones Tuesday

8. Naperville Central (24-6) 8

Plays Matea Valley Tuesday

9. Fremd (23-6) 9

Plays Palatine Tuesday

10. Providence (27-4) 10

No. 1 seed in Country Club Hills sectional

11. Carmel (21-9) 11

Plays Round Lake Monday

12. Marist (23-8) 12

Plays Richards Tuesday

13. Libertyville (24-6) 13

Plays Zion-Benton Tuesday

14. DePaul Prep (21-6) 14

Plays Oak Park-River Forest Tuesday

15. Maine South (22-8) 15

Plays Lincoln Park Tuesday

16. Glenbard West (25-4) 16

Plays Bartlett Tuesday

17. Glenbrook South (22-9) 17

Plays Niles West Tuesday

18. Bolingbrook (23-4) 21

Plays Plainfield Central Tuesday

19. Prospect (19-10) 20

Plays Hoffman Estates Monday

20. Hersey (19-7) 18

No. 2 seed in Schaumburg sectional.

21. Lyons (19-9) 19

Plays Morton Tuesday

22. Lake Zurich (20-10) 22

Plays South Elgin Tuesday

23. Trinity (20-10) 23

Plays Pritzker Monday

24. St. Charles East (18-11) 25

Plays West Chicago Monday

25. Young (15-12) NR

Third place in CPS playoffs.