Illinois girls high school basketball rankings
From the farm-fueled towns of the heartland to the bustling concrete canyons on the coast, high school girls basketball is a cultural touchstone.
Basketball engages nearly 400,000 girls to join high school teams per year, according to 2021-22 data from the National Federation of State High School Associations. With almost 18,000 high schools maintaining girls teams, basketball is the most widely offered girls high school sport, beating out track and field and volleyball. Such data paints a clear picture of the sport's cultural impact.
And girls basketball dates back over a century. Iowa, for instance, traces its girls state championship history to 1920. That timeline doesn't lag far behind boys' basketball: Illinois' boys state championship began just 13 years before Iowa's girls event. However, girls across the country weren't given equal representation and support in the sport until the passage of the gender equality act known as Title IX in 1972. Since the arrival of that legislation, girls participation in basketball—and sports as a whole—exploded. Now, girls play basketball in high school gyms across all 50 states.
To dig into competition data behind the ever-growing sport of high school girls basketball, Stacker compiled statewide rankings in Illinois using MaxPreps. MaxPreps' rankings factor in win-loss record, win quality, and strength of schedule. Keep reading to find out which schools top the girls basketball charts in Illinois.
Class 1A
1. Okawville: 34-4 (10-0 in Cahokia - Illinois), 30.3 rating, 14 straight wins
2. Havana: 32-4 (6-0 in Prairieland), 22.8 rating, 6 straight wins
3. Galena: 35-2 (10-0 in Conference), 21.0 rating
4. Mendon Unity (Mendon): 29-4 (7-1 in West Central - South), 19.0 rating
5. Neoga: 32-3 (7-1 in National Trail), 18.3 rating, 13 straight wins
6. Brown County (Mt. Sterling): 31-4 (8-0 in Conference), 17.5 rating
7. Christopher: 31-4 (8-0 in Black Diamond - West), 17.4 rating
8. St. Anthony (Effingham): 27-6 (8-0 in National Trail), 17.3 rating
9. Tuscola: 32-2 (7-0 in Central Illinois), 17.2 rating
10. Carlyle: 27-6 (8-2 in Cahokia - Illinois), 17.2 rating
11. Father McGivney Catholic (Glen Carbon): 29-4 (10-0 in Gateway Metro), 16.0 rating
12. Elmwood: 28-6 (5-1 in Prairieland), 15.0 rating
13. Annawan: 25-8 (11-0 in Lincoln Trail), 14.3 rating
14. Orangeville: 28-5 (11-1 in Conference), 14.0 rating
15. Brimfield: 21-10 (7-1 in Prairieland), 13.9 rating
Class 2A
1. Quincy Notre Dame (Quincy): 36-2 (7-0 in West Central - North), 32.1 rating
2. Mater Dei (Breese): 27-7, 28.7 rating, 10 straight wins
3. Byron: 34-3 (9-0 in Big Northern), 24.7 rating
4. Teutopolis: 26-6, 22.1 rating
5. Central/Southeastern (Camp Point): 30-5 (5-2 in West Central - North), 21.8 rating
6. PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central (Petersburg): 27-2 (7-1 in Sangamo), 21.7 rating
7. Breese Central (Breese): 21-12 (8-2 in Conference), 20.9 rating
8. Paris: 30-3 (6-1 in Little Illini), 20.3 rating, 8 straight wins
9. Fieldcrest (Minonk): 32-4 (11-1 in Heart Of Illinois), 19.5 rating
10. DePaul College Prep (Chicago): 25-7 (5-0 in Conference), 18.8 rating
11. Freeburg: 22-10 (10-0 in Conference), 18.7 rating
12. Pleasant Plains: 23-7 (8-0 in Sangamo), 18.6 rating
13. Peotone: 31-2 (14-0 in Illinois Central 8), 18.6 rating
14. Butler (Chicago): 30-8 (11-0 in Noble), 18.5 rating, 2 straight losses
15. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield): 26-7 (16-2 in Central State Eight), 17.9 rating
16. Deer Creek-Mackinaw (Mackinaw): 30-6 (10-2 in Heart Of Illinois), 17.9 rating
17. Massac County (Metropolis): 24-6 (7-2 in Conference), 17.4 rating
18. Benton: 24-7 (9-0 in Conference), 16.5 rating
19. Winnebago: 21-11 (6-3 in Big Northern), 15.9 rating
20. Eureka: 26-9 (11-1 in Heart Of Illinois), 15.8 rating
Class 3A
1. Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park): 35-1 (7-0 in Conference), 36.2 rating, 30 straight wins
2. Lincoln: 36-1 (12-0 in Apollo), 31.9 rating
3. Peoria: 29-4 (9-0 in Big Twelve), 30.1 rating
4. Montini Catholic (Lombard): 27-7 (3-2 in Girls Catholic - Red), 28.1 rating, 5 straight wins
5. Carmel (Mundelein): 24-9 (4-3 in Conference), 27.7 rating
6. Deerfield: 29-7 (10-0 in Conference), 26.8 rating, 2 straight losses
7. Peoria Notre Dame (Peoria): 24-3 (7-1 in Big Twelve), 26.1 rating, 5 straight wins
8. Washington: 24-5 (13-1 in Mid-Illini), 25.7 rating
9. Saint Ignatius College Prep (Chicago): 27-7 (5-0 in Girls Catholic - Red), 25.5 rating
10. Highland: 26-7 (9-1 in Mississippi Valley), 24.0 rating, 8 straight wins
11. Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights): 28-7 (4-3 in Conference), 23.9 rating, 5 straight wins
12. Dunlap: 22-7 (11-3 in Mid-Illini), 22.3 rating
13. Rochester: 27-8 (17-1 in Central State Eight), 21.0 rating
14. Mascoutah: 21-8 (7-2 in Mississippi Valley), 20.9 rating
15. Morton: 19-10 (9-5 in Mid-Illini), 20.8 rating
16. Geneseo: 27-7 (11-3 in Western Big 6), 20.6 rating
17. Mt. Vernon: 26-7 (10-0 in South Seven), 19.7 rating
18. Providence Catholic (New Lenox): 24-11 (3-2 in Conference), 19.4 rating
19. Galesburg: 26-8 (10-4 in Western Big 6), 19.1 rating
20. Taylorville: 22-9 (8-4 in Apollo), 18.9 rating, 2 straight losses
Class 4A
1. O'Fallon: 34-4 (11-1 in Southwestern), 35.1 rating, 14 straight wins
2. Geneva: 31-4 (14-0 in DuKane), 34.0 rating
3. Bolingbrook: 27-4 (7-1 in Conference), 32.6 rating
4. Benet Academy (Lisle): 25-8 (5-1 in Conference), 32.4 rating
5. Fremd (Palatine): 30-3 (10-0 in Mid-Suburban - West), 32.3 rating
6. Alton: 31-2 (11-1 in Southwestern), 32.1 rating
7. Maine South (Park Ridge): 26-8 (9-1 in Conference), 29.0 rating
8. Kenwood (Chicago): 30-5 (8-0 in Conference), 28.8 rating, 4 straight wins
9. Libertyville: 29-5 (13-1 in North Suburban), 28.5 rating
10. Whitney Young (Chicago): 26-6 (9-0 in Conference), 28.0 rating
11. Hersey (Arlington Heights): 28-10 (9-1 in Mid-Suburban - East), 27.8 rating, 2 straight losses
12. Loyola Academy (Wilmette): 28-7 (3-2 in Girls Catholic - Red), 27.7 rating
13. Lyons (LaGrange): 28-5 (12-0 in Conference), 27.0 rating
14. Lake Zurich: 25-8 (12-2 in North Suburban), 26.9 rating
15. Normal Community (Normal): 31-4 (7-2 in Big Twelve), 26.5 rating
16. York (Elmhurst): 25-7 (10-2 in Conference), 26.3 rating
17. Barrington: 26-8 (8-2 in Mid-Suburban - West), 25.8 rating, 11 straight wins
18. Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor): 19-7 (7-1 in Conference), 25.7 rating
19. St. Charles North (St. Charles): 26-7 (11-3 in DuKane), 25.7 rating
20. Glenbrook South (Glenview): 25-8 (8-2 in Conference), 24.1 rating
