The first Coaches Ranking Poll of 2026 is officially released, and the top-five basketball teams of each classification have been voted on. There are a few surprising jumps from the pre-season rankings.
All the rankings for every classification can be found at https://wyomingfivestar.com/rankings/
Girls Basketball is heating up ahead of conference play. Here are the official rankings, voted on by Coaches and Media Members of Wyoming:
4A Girls
#1 Cheyenne East (8-2) –
The Thunderbirds were selected as a unanimous #1 in this week’s Ranking Poll. They’ve played extremely well so far this year. Eric Westling’s group posted impressive wins over 4A West teams last weekend, beating Green River, Natrona, and Kelly Walsh. They haven’t played anyone from 4A East yet, so we’ll see what happens in conference play. Cashlyn Haws is the only player in double-figures, averaging 16.0ppg.
#2 Green River (8-2)
The Wolves look very good this year. They just beat #3 Sheridan last weekend, and have posted great numbers through 10 games. We know the 4A West is traditionally tough, but it looks like Green River may come out fairly unscathed. Isabel Vasco leads the way with 17.1ppg, and Nicole Wilson contribues 11.8ppg and 8.2 rebounds per game. The Wolves play unranked Evanston and Riverton this weekend.
#3 Sheridan (5-3)
New coach Chris Wagner has a great group in 2026. They feature two scorers in double-digits, Ella Bilyeu (16.0) and Mesa Hanft (12.2). They’ve beaten Natrona twice, but lost to #2 Green River last weekend.
#4 Star Valley (4-4)
The Braves are an interesting team this year. 4A is pretty balanced between East and West, and a team vying for the top-seed in the West is Star Valley. They’re only 4-4 this year, but only lost to #1 East by five, and #2 Green River by one. Time will tell how the Braves shake out in 4A West, but you can bet they’ll be in the conversation come March.
#5 Thunder Basin (6-3)
The Bolts have a deep team this year — only one scorer in double digits (Ashtyn Ketchum, 15.2ppg), but feature three other players around 8-9ppg. Guard-play always factors into post-season ball, and this team know how to share it. I would not be surprised, at all, if the Bolts take down some 4A East teams this weekend when they play Laramie and South this weekend.
3A Girls
#1 Cody (7-0)
It’s hard not to view the Fillies as 3A’s top team — they are loaded in 2026. Not much has changed in this week’s Rankings Poll, and rightfully so. Cody may beat the best 4A teams in Wyoming, and appear to be clearly above the 3A Class. This is a special group, led by junior standout Grace Hays — a front runner for Gatorade Player of the Year. She averages 25.7ppg and 7.6 steals per game. A dominant performance over #2 Lander Valley, which featured 34 turnovers, prompts another #1 ranking for the Fillies.
Coaches Report:
“Cody plays stifling defense. It’s a great collection of defensive minded players that finish on the offensive end.”
#2 Lander Valley (10-1)
The Tigers collected the most #2 votes in this week’s Rankings Poll. The Tigers clearly have chemistry on the court, with a strong group of guards like Hayden Goggles (#1 3A Assists), Daisy Goklish, and Breanna Lincoln. The Tigers thrive off opponent turnovers, but have a tendency to turn the ball over themselves. 3A West is going to be extremely competitive this year, so we’ll see if the Tigers can stay unscathed through conference play. Their only loss this season is to #1 Cody.
#3 Pinedale (9-1)
Pinedale has been very talented over the last few years, and have lost a few players, but a solid group of guards still remain. Erica Wilson is scoring ppg, and she can take over a game very quickly. Alyxis White is having a great start to the season, scoring 15ppg. The Wranglers are streaky, but can heat up — and from deep range. They beat #4 Douglas this weekend, prompting a #3 ranking.
Coaches Report:
Pinedale is playing great team basketball, surprising a lot of coaches in the conference.”
#4 Douglas (5-5)
The Bearcats are an interesting team this year. They’ve completely dominated 3A over the last decade, but this year, they’ve gotten out to a slow start. They’ve lost twice to Lander Valley, once to Cody, and once to Pinedale. Their best wins this year were over #5 Lovell, and 4A Jackson and Natrona. This team has championship experience, and even though the numbers may not reflect it yet, you can safely bet Douglas will be in the conversation come post-season play.
#5 Lovell (6-1)
The Bulldogs are fresh off an impressive volleyball championship, and a lot of the same players are now on the hardwood. They don’t have any extremely impressive wins so far, but they play Pinedale and Lander Valley on February 6th and 7th. The 3A West is so competitive this year, so we’ll see how the Bulldogs shake out in conference play.
2A Girls
#1 Sundance (7-1)
The Bulldogs are led by arguably, the best player in 2A, Jaylin Mills, who is having an unbelievable senior season. She averages 23ppg and 8rpg. They’ve beaten #5 Thermopolis, #3 Wyoming Indian, and Pine Bluffs. The Bulldogs play out-of-state teams again this weekend, then start conference play on Jan. 23 against Wright.
#2 Big Horn (10-2)
The Rams look very good this season, and have posted an impressive record to end the preseason. Big Horn is led by Afton Cummins, who ranks among the best players in 2A, if not the best. She averages 21.8ppg and 11.1 rpg — a double-double. She also leads Big Horn in assists (5.3), steals (5.6), and blocks (2.4). The Rams have logged big wins over #3 Wyoming Indian, #5 Thermopolis, and Pine Bluffs.
#3 Wyoming Indian (9-3)
The Chiefs are an intriguing team this year. They’re not the traditional full-court pressing team of old, but have evolved into a half-court team that feeds on offensive rebounds, and interior scoring. Taya Dixey leads the Chiefs with 13.8ppg and 5.2 rebounds per game. They have a great supporting cast of Jaime Shoyo-Ferris, Delaney Gambler, and Paisley Blackburn. They are not particularly deep, but might not need to be if they can stay healthy.
#4 Tongue River (9-3)
The Eagles are led by Caney Reish, a senior averaging 19.3ppg, and 8.1 rpg. They’ve played a tough schedule, beating #5 Thermopolis, Pine Bluffs, and Shoshoni last weekend.
#5 Thermopolis (2-6)
Although the Bobcats have only won 2 of 8 games this season, they’ve probably played the toughest schedule in 2A — earning the coaches nods for a #5 ranking. They’ve played 4A Star Valley and Green River, 3A Lander Valley and Mountain View, and 2A #1 Sundance and #2 Big Horn. The Bobcats lost to Sundance by four, so they’ve proven they can play with good teams. 2A play should reveal a lot about this team and how competitive they are.
1A Girls
#1 Burlington (10-0)
The Huskies have continued their impressive streak through 1A play, now up to 10-0 on the season. They’ve been led in scoring by Sarah McNiven and Paxton Philpott who average 11.2 and 10.9ppg respectively. You can always count on championship pedigree, and Burlington is no stranger to the post-season. You can expect the Huskies to be there again in 2026.
#2 Southeast (9-3)
Southeast is a very intriguing team. The Cyclones picked up an impressive wins this weekend over 4A Riverton and 3A Buffalo, a pair of staple-win for the defending champions. The Cyclones are set to begin 1A conference play this week against Lingle-Ft. Laramie and Encampment.
#3 Little Snake River (7-1)
The Rattlers feature a rather potent duo in Kenzie Evans and Elyse Kisner, dominating the 1A statistical landscape. Evans is averaging 19.1ppg (T-1st), 9.6rpg (2nd). Kisner leads 1A in assists (4.1apg) and third in scoring (16.58). This team does not have many flaws, and could easily move up the rankings quickly when conference play rolls around. They recently beat #5 Cokeville by 26 on Jan. 10th
#4 Upton (5-2)
The Bobcats started the season with a four-game winning streak. They’ve played well so far, beating 2A Shoshoni and narrowly losing to Snake River and Rocky Mountain. They’ve only played one game so far in 20256, against Casper Christian (W), but play next against Kaycee on Jan. 24
#5 Cokeville (9-2)
The Panthers are led by Addison Barnes, a familiar name from the State Volleyball championship team. She is scoring 20.8ppg. Cokeville is holding opponents under 40 points, and doubling their opponents assists. They post an impressive 9-2 record, and with 1A conference play coming around the corner, the Panthers could move up the rankings in a hurry.