Women's NCAA Tournament: Who from Washington will be playing in 'March Madness'
Twelve of the 68 teams in the national tournament have Washington high school products on their rosters
March Madness is back.
The annual women’s NCAA Tournament begins this week — and there are 12 teams in the 68-team bracket with former Washington high school basketball standouts on the roster.
VarsityWA breaks down storylines and players to watch, and lists the state’s 20 former high school players on tournament rosters this March:
FIVE STORYLINES
Of the 20 former Washington high school players listed on tournament rosters, 13 enter the bracket as conference tournament champions. Fairfield (MAAC), Gonzaga (WCC), High Point (Big South), Idaho (Big Sky), Princeton (Ivy League), UC San Diego (Big West) and Vermont (America East) all earned automatic bids. Fairfield (co-champions), High Point, TCU (Big 12), Idaho, Vermont, Princeton and UC San Diego (co-champions) won regular-season conference titles.
Idaho’s roster features the most former Washington high school players in this season’s tournament with five — including Clarkston’s Reese de Groot, Sumner’s Catelyn Deaver, Raymond’s Kyra Gardner (unanimous All-Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, All-Big Sky first team, Big Sky All-Tournament Team), Tahoma’s Hope Hassmann (All-Big Sky first team, Big Sky Tournament MVP) and Mount Spokane’s Niveya Henley.
3A Metro League program Garfield has three former standouts in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Oregon guard Katie Fiso, Princeton forward Sarah Lessig and USC guard Malia Samuels were teammates during Garfield’s recent run of state championships — Fiso and Lessig won three as teammates in 2022, 2023 and 2024, while Samuels won two in 2022 and 2023. Fiso, now a sophomore at Oregon, has played in 59 games the past two seasons, including starting all 34 this winter and leads the Ducks in scoring (15.3 points per game) and assists (6.3). Lessig has played in 12 games this season for Princeton as a true freshman. Samuels, a junior, has played in 86 games the past three seasons at USC, including starting 17 of 28 games played this winter.
Seven of the Washington high school products on rosters of teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament field are former WIAA champions — and six won multiple state titles. All three in-state players now at UW won two — Olivia Anderson won two 2A championships at Ellensburg (2022, 2023), Devin Coppinger won two 1A crowns at Nooksack Valley (2023, 2024) and Brynn McGaughy won a 2B title at Colfax (2022) and 3A title at Central Valley (2025). Oregon’s Katie Fiso and Princeton’s Sarah Lessig both played on the Garfield teams that won three consecutive titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024, while USC’s Malia Samuels was on the 2022 and 2023 championship teams. And TCU’s Veronica Sheffey won the 4A championship with Woodinville in 2022.
There are two Hansons on Vermont’s roster this season — sisters Keira Hanson (senior) and Lia Hanson (freshman), who were both 4A KingCo first-team selections in high school at Issaquah. Keira Hanson has played in 110 games the past four seasons at Vermont, starting 61, including all 34 this season. An All-America East first-team selection this winter, she averages 14.1 points per game, and is set for her third career trip to the NCAA Tournament, while Lia Hanson has appeared in 19 games as a true freshman for Vermont.
FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
G Aaliyah Collins, High Point, gr.
30 games (25 starts), 28.8 minutes, 15.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.5 steals
Former all-state selection at Glacier Peak is in third season at High Point after starting college career at Chicago State and Grand Canyon, and is set for second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Team leader in assists and steals was also an All-Big South co-defensive player of the year and first-team selection this winter, as well as the conference tournament MVP for the Big South regular-season and tournament champions.
G Katie Fiso, Oregon, soph.
34 games (34 starts), 32.0 minutes, 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.4 steals
Three-time Class 3A state champion at Garfield and two-time state player of the year is in second season at Oregon and set to make back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. All-Big Ten second-team selection leads the Ducks in scoring and assists this winter.
G Keira Hanson, Vermont, sr.
34 games (34 starts), 34.6 minutes, 14.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals
Former Issaquah standout, in fourth season at Vermont, is on the way to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season and has started all 34 games this winter. Earned All-America East first-team honors this season for the conference regular-season and tournament champions.
G Hope Hassmann, Idaho, jr.
34 games (34 starts), 29.5 minutes, 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.0 steals
Former all-state selection at Tahoma is in second season with Vandals after beginning college career at Cal State Fullerton. Earned All-Big Sky first-team honors and was named the conference tournament MVP this winter. Has been Idaho’s assists leader each of the past two seasons, and leads the Vandals in scoring this year.
F Brynn McGaughy, Washington, fr.
31 games (8 starts), 21.0 minutes, 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks
Former state player of the year won a pair of undefeated state championships in high school — Class 3A as a senior (Central Valley) and Class 2B as a sophomore (Colfax) — and was a McDonald’s All-American selection before joining the Huskies. Leads UW in blocks as a true freshman this winter, and was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection.
ON THE ROSTER
Positions and years reflect what is listed on current rosters, while most recent Washington high school attended, prep schools and previous colleges are listed in parentheses.
Colorado (No. 10 seed)
G Claire O’Connor, jr. (Lakeside of Seattle, Gonzaga)
Fairfield (No. 11 seed)
F Jalyn Sackrider, gr. (Elma, Evergreen State College)
Gonzaga (No. 12 seed)
F McKynnlie Dalan, jr. (Montesano, Minnesota)
G Teryn Gardner, soph. (Mead, Boise State)
High Point (No. 15 seed)
G Aaliyah Collins, gr. (Glacier Peak, Chicago State, Grand Canyon)
Idaho (No. 13 seed)
F Reese de Groot, fr. (Clarkston)
F Catelyn Deaver, sr. (Sumner, Utah Tech)
G Kyra Gardner, sr. (Raymond, WSU)
G Hope Hassmann, jr. (Tahoma, Cal State Fullerton)
G Niveya Henley, R-sr. (Mount Spokane, Montverde Academy (Fla.), Furman)
Oregon (No. 8 seed)
G Katie Fiso, soph. (Garfield)
Princeton (No. 9 seed)
F Sarah Lessig, fr. (Garfield)
TCU (No. 3 seed)
G Veronica Sheffey, sr. (Woodinville, San Diego, San Diego State)
UC San Diego (No. 14 seed)
G Rosa Smith, R-jr. (Lake Washington, Idaho)
USC (No. 9 seed)
G Malia Samuels, jr. (Garfield)
Vermont (No. 14 seed)
G Keira Hanson, sr. (Issaquah)
Washington (No. 6 seed)
F Olivia Anderson, jr. (Ellensburg)
G Devin Coppinger, soph. (Nooksack Valley)
F Brynn McGaughy, fr. (Central Valley)
