WA high school girls basketball: 3A state tournament bracket breakdown
The Class 3A girls state basketball tournament begins Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome, where 15 games will be played in four days to decide this season’s champion.
Here’s what to watch for in the 2025 bracket, which features 12 programs from around the state.
REGIONAL RESULTS
Regional state play-in games
No. 17 Bellevue 58, No. 16 Auburn Mountainview 26
No. 15 Roosevelt 67, No. 18 Decatur 23
No. 19 Garfield 50, No. 14 Shorecrest 46
No. 13 Bellarmine Prep 55, No. 20 Monroe 42
Winner-to-quarterfinals, loser-to-first-round games
No. 1 Central Valley 78, No. 8 Meadowdale 64
No. 2 North Thurston 59, No. 7 Kennewick 52
No. 6 Lakeside (Seattle) 59, No. 3 White River 38
No. 4 Stanwood 54, No. 5 Seattle Prep 42
Winner-to-first-round, loser-out games
No. 17 Bellevue 61, No. 9 Ridgeline 55
No. 15 Roosevelt 67, No. 10 River Ridge 56
No. 19 Garfield 50, No. 11 Mountain View 44
No. 12 Eastside Catholic 60, No. 13 Bellarmine Prep 42
TACOMA DOME SCHEDULE
Wednesday’s first round and Thursday’s quarterfinals
No. 19 Garfield vs. No. 3 White River, 9 a.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 4 Stanwood, 9 a.m. Thursday
No. 15 Roosevelt vs. No. 7 Kennewick, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 1 Central Valley, 10:30 a.m. Thursday
No. 12 Eastside Catholic vs. No. 5 Seattle Prep, 12:15 p.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 6 Lakeside (Seattle), 12:15 p.m. Thursday
No. 17 Bellevue vs. No. 8 Meadowdale, 2 p.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 2 North Thurston, 2 p.m. Thursday
Friday’s semifinals
3:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Saturday’s championship and placing games
4th/6th – 8 a.m.
3rd/5th – 11:15 a.m.
Championship – 3 p.m.
10 PLAYERS TO WATCH
G Mia Brockmeyer, Meadowdale
G Willa Chinn, Lakeside (Seattle)
G Shayla Cordis, North Thurston
G Dilynn Johnson, Bellevue
F Brynn McGaughy, Central Valley
C Amy Nduka, Eastside Catholic
W Grace Renners, Seattle Prep
G Soraya Ogaldez, North Thurston
G Maggee Schmitz, White River
G Ellalee Wortham, Stanwood
TEAM PREVIEWS
No. 1 Central Valley (24-0) — Still undefeated: No program has figured out this Central Valley squad to date. Five-star forward Brynn McGaughy (16.8 PPG, 9 RPG), a UW signee and McDonald’s All-American, is the standout for the tournament favorite bringing plenty of star power. The all-level scorer is equally valuable as a facilitator, garnering 31 Division-I offers from the likes of Iowa, North Carolina, Arizona and Baylor. Senior guard Eden Sander adds 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals per game, named the GSL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Central Valley rolled to league and district titles, now entering its first state tournament since claiming the 4A title in 2019-20. Can anyone take down these Bears at the Tacoma Dome?
No. 2 North Thurston (27-1) — Timberline transfer Shayla Cordis and All-Area point guard Soraya Ogaldez have joined forces in Lacey, turning the state-tournament regulars into one of the full-blown favorites. The Rams dropped their season opener at Olympia then immediately shook off the rust, rattling off 27 straight wins since. Ogaldez (23.1 PPG) and Cordis (21 PPG) make a legitimate case as the tournament’s top backcourt. North Thurston owns wins over several state contenders including Auburn (4A), Camas (4A), No. 3 White River and No. 13 Bellarmine Prep.
No. 3 White River (22-4) — The streak continues: White River has reached the state’s “Sweet 16” in every season since 2008-09, even in a newer and bigger 3A class. The Hornets are winners in 16 of their last 18 games, the lone losses at the hands of No. 2 North Thurston in the District ¾ championship and No. 6 Lakeside (Seattle) in the regional round, 59-38. Sophomore guard and NPSL MVP Maggee Schmitz (20 PPG, 4 APG) guides the offense and All-NPSL senior forward Vivian Kingston (13.5 PPG, 10 RPG, 3 BPG) is White River’s dominant interior presence.
No. 4 Stanwood (22-4) — These Spartans can score in a hurry, averaging 23 points in first quarters this season. Junior guard Ellalee Wortham eclipsed the 1,000-point career scoring mark last month, and senior shooting guard Jazmyn Legg dropped a game-high 24 points to push Stanwood over No. 5 Seattle Prep, 54-42, and into Thursday’s 3A quarterfinals.
No. 5 Seattle Prep (21-9) — Talk about battle-tested: Seattle Prep’s daunting schedule included 14 games (Reg. and Post.) against state-tournament teams, and it passed tests with No. 6 Lakeside, No. 12 Eastside Catholic, and No. 15 Roosevelt. 6-foot-2 senior wing Grace Renners can play all five positions, a versatile scorer heading to Cornell University this fall.
No. 6 Lakeside (23-5) — Statement made: The Lions swarmed White River and exploited messy passes in transition for a convincing, 21-point win over the tournament’s No. 3 seed in last week’s regional. Senior guard Willa Chinn facilitated the show and proved deadly in the midrange, complemented by three-point shooting threat Lili Brown. They’re still waiting to learn Thursday’s 3A quarterfinals opponent, but either way, it’s a Metro rivalry with No. 5 Seattle Prep or No. 12 Eastside Catholic.
No. 7 Kennewick (17-7) — The Lions threatened No. 2 North Thurston’s 26-game win streak and took the Rams to the final minutes, 59-52, in a narrow loss that puts Kennewick in Wednesday’s Round of 12 at the Tacoma Dome. Emerging sophomore guard June Fiander paces the Lions with 12 points and three steals per game; senior forward Ashlynn Dress chips in 11 points and six rebounds.
No. 8 Meadowdale (17-7) — The top eight seeds already guaranteed their trip to the Tacoma Dome, and Meadowdale joined that coveted group for the second time in three seasons. The only downside? The Mavericks drew top-ranked Central Valley and fell in the regional round last weekend, 78-64. Junior guard Mia Brockmeyer (16.2 PPG) is Meadowdale’s first option with efficient scoring numbers, averaging 46 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
No. 12 Eastside Catholic (16-11) — Just how good was the 3A Metro this season? The league champs are one of five programs still alive from the Mountain Division (Seattle Prep, Roosevelt, Bellevue, Garfield), and own at least one win over all of them. 6-foot-4 freshman center Amy Nduka is making waves, unstoppable inside and already a national recruit in the 2028 class with offers from the likes of Stanford, UNLV, and Maryland. Up next? Metro-rival No. 5 Seattle Prep in Wednesday’s 3A Round of 12.
No. 15 Roosevelt (19-9) — Roughriders rolled over No. 10 River Ridge in the regional round and led by 25 at halftime to punch their ticket to the Tacoma Dome. Junior shooting guard Ellery Burke-Brown (15.2 PPG, 1 BPG) hasn’t missed a game in 2024-25, leading Roosevelt in points and blocks per game. A strong schedule packed with state contenders includes victories over No. 5 Seattle Prep and No. 6 Lakeside, plus three-game season series wins over No. 12 Eastside Catholic and No. 19 Garfield.
No. 17 Bellevue (22-6) — Upset! Bellevue knocked off No. 9 Ridgeline in last weekend’s regional round to return to the Tacoma Dome for the first time since 2018. Wolverines own wins over No. 5 Seattle Prep and No. 19 Garfield, powered by freshman duo Dilynn Johnson (18.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG) and Nayvi Robinson (11.1 PPG, 4.4 APG).
No. 19 Garfield (15-9) — They’re the 19th seed without 2024 TNT All-State Player of the Year and Oregon Ducks guard Katie Fiso, but the four-time defending 3A champion remains in the running for a fifth straight title. This year’s 3A Metro runner-up upset No. 11 Mountain View in the regional round with 15-point efforts from senior captain Jayda Lewis and junior guard Lena Most. Bulldogs won three-game season series with No. 12 Eastside Catholic (2-1) and dropped narrow, 51-48 loss to No. 17 Bellevue on Feb. 22.
TNT Championship Pick
No. 1 Central Valley 55, No. 2 North Thurston 51
