A quick preview of the upcoming Union County girls basketball season

UNION COUNTY, NJ — There are many talented, versatile and exciting girls basketball players in Union County to highlight the beginning of the 2025-2026 campaign.

Right at the top is Roselle Park High School senior guard Sidney Smith, who not only led all of Union County but the entire state in scoring last year with 729 points in her first season with the Panthers. Smith netted 402 points her freshman year and 198 her sophomore campaign at Roselle Catholic High School, before transferring to Roselle Park.

With 1,329 points, Smith has an excellent chance of becoming one of only a handful of Union County girls to reach 2,000 points.

Smith helped lead Roselle Park to a 16-6 record last year and the Union County Conference’s Valley Division crown, where the Panthers were a perfect 6-0. Roselle Park, guided by head coach Staci Hartzler, won its first 12 games and later went 1-1 in state tournament play to advance to the Central Jersey, Group 1 quarterfinals.

The 5-foot-6-inch Smith was named the UCC’s Female Athlete of the Year last year, after averaging 32 points.

In October, Smith gave a verbal commitment to play collegiately at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina.

One of the top programs in the UCC’s Watchung Division is Cranford High School, guided by head coach Allison Skrec. Last year’s squad began 0-4 and was 4-9 as of Jan. 21, before coming all the way back to reaching the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 sectional state championship game. Cranford even led favored and host Chatham High School in that game by the score of 13-5 after the first quarter, before falling 41-33 to finish the 2024-2025 season at 15-12.

Cranford has four starters back from last year, losing only 2025 graduate Bella Curanovic, who a year ago poured in 459 points to finish with a four-year varsity total of 1,275.

Returning starters include senior Lily Costello, senior Brook Brentewicz, senior Courtney Toy and junior Sienna DeStefano. Costello scored 251 points last year and led the team in assists with 95. Brentewicz scored 191 and grabbed 126 rebounds, while Toy netted 103 points and pulled down 119 boards.

Also back and in the mix is junior Kasey Coon, who scored 26 points.

Looking to improve last year’s 8-16 record are the Union High School Farmers, led by head coach Omar Wright. The Farmers went 5-6 in Valley Division play.

Key players back include forwards Wisnalie Joseph, a senior, and junior Kiziah Morgan. Joseph scored 176 points and grabbed 119 rebounds last year, while Morgan filled the hoop for 179 points and came down with 204 boards.

Summit High School, guided by head coach Thomas Kenny, fashioned an overall record of 16-9 last year and finished third in the UCC’s Mountain Division at 8-4. Prominent scorers back include junior Charlotte Yarnall, who last year scored 322 points, and junior Emma Ryan, who scored 215. Yarnall also led the team in rebounds with 215 and Ryan was third with 109.

Union County Conference Girls Basketball for 2025-2026 Season

Watchung Division = seven schools

Cranford

New Providence

Plainfield

Roselle Catholic

Scotch Plains–Fanwood

Union Catholic

Westfield

Defending champion: New Providence (11-0)

Mountain Division = seven schools

Jonathan Dayton