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Public League playoffs: Top seed Audenried girls favorites to secure consecutive titles

The Public League girls’ basketball playoffs begin Wednesday. Here’s a breakdown of the teams that could have a shot at the title.

Audenried’s Shayla Smith shoots during a game against Mastery North on Jan. 10.
Audenried’s Shayla Smith shoots during a game against Mastery North on Jan. 10.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    by Owen McCue, City of Basketball Love
    Published 

The Philadelphia Public League girls’ basketball playoffs begin Wednesday. The six-round event features 32 teams chasing the league championship. The top 16 teams get a bye in the first round, and the top eight get a bye in the first two rounds.

The semifinals will take place Feb. 21 at Bobby Morgan Arena on the former University of the Sciences campus. The championship game is at 1 p.m. Feb. 24 at Temple’s Liacouras Center. The boys’ title game is at 3 p.m. that day.

Audenried knocked off Imhotep Charter for its first Public League title last season. The Rockets are at the top of the league standings again this season. A few other teams could have a shot at the title as well.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect in the tournament:

Who are the top teams?

Audenried is the favorite to repeat.

Junior Shayla Smith (24.2 points, 10.0 rebounds), the reigning Public League MVP, has more help this season in junior guard Senaya Parker (11.2 points, 5.7 assists), who was one of the top scorers in the state at Samuel Fels; 2023 title game MVP Aniyah Howard (11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds); and 6-foot-2 freshman forward Nasiaah Russell.

Freire Charter and Palumbo are two of the other top seeds in the tournament. Freire Charter was in the Final Four a season ago and still has senior Kylah Hargrove, a first-team All-Public League selection last season, to lead the charge.

Palumbo grabbed the other top seed after an undefeated run through the B Division behind the play of 5-8 junior forward Aisha Muibi (20.7 ppg). The Griffins showed they can hang with the top squads in the league, especially when they took down Freire Charter earlier this season.

Imhotep Charter, last season’s runner-up and the final No. 1 seed, finished third in the A Division but gave Audenried its only scare in league play before losing, 62-56, on Jan. 29. Senior guard Asia Taylor and forward Aubrey Wroten are the Panthers’ leaders. There’s plenty of talent in Imhotep’s junior class in 6-1 forward Anise Geiger, 5-9 wing Sabria Mann, and 5-7 guard Calista Gaymon.

Mastery North is two years removed from a title game appearance. The Pumas’ goal is winning their first league title since 2020. Mastery North, which beat Imhotep during the regular season, has a balanced attack that includes junior Jordyn Searles and seniors Zaakirah Edwards, Leilany Ayala, Kyjanae Cooper, and Teniece Harris.

Masterman forward Jocelyn Goldstein (25.6 points, 8.7 rebounds) helped her team to an unbeaten run through the C Division, but the Dragons dropped their last two regular-season contests to Central and Audenried. Central and Northeast round out the rest of the top eight.

Dobbins senior guard Elnora Span-Edmonds (25.5 ppg), Parkway Center City sophomore guard/wing Jessica Canty (22.7 ppg), Hardy Williams senior Eva Noel-Studevan (20.4 ppg), and Sayre 6-3 senior forward Brionn Veal-Coston (19.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg) had solid individual seasons and look to carry their teams to a strong finish.

» READ MORE: At Audenried, Senaya Parker and Shayla Smith have teamed up to ‘take over the world together’

First round, Wednesday

Audenried bracket

  1. No. 5 Franklin Towne vs. No. 8 Sayre

  2. No. 6 Hardy Williams vs. No. 7 School of the Future

Palumbo bracket

  1. No. 5 West Philadelphia vs. No. 8 Parkway West

  2. No. 6 Science Leadership vs. No. 7 Martin Luther King

Imhotep bracket

  1. No. 5 Girls High vs. No. 8 Mast II

  2. No. 6 Dobbins Tech vs. No. 7 Belmont Charter

Freire bracket

  1. No. 5 Kensington vs. No. 8 Southern

  2. No. 6 Prep Charter vs. No. 7 Parkway NW

Second round, Friday

Audenried bracket

  1. No. 4 Constitution vs. Franklin Towne/Sayre

  2. No. 3 Engineering & Science vs. Hardy Williams/School of the Future

Palumbo bracket

  1. No. 4 Parkway Center City vs. West Philadelphia/Parkway West

  2. No. 3 Bodine vs. Science Leadership/Martin Luther King

Imhotep bracket

  1. No. 4 Frankford vs. Girls High/Mast II

  2. No. 3 Phila. Acad. Charter vs. Dobbins/Belmont

Freire bracket

  1. No. 4 Roxborough vs. Kensington/Southern

  2. No. 3 Lincoln vs. Prep Charter/Parkway NW

Third round, Feb. 13

Audenried bracket

  1. No. 1 Audenried vs. TBD

  2. No. 2 Northeast vs. TBD

Palumbo bracket

  1. No. 1 Palumbo vs. TBD

  2. No. 2 Mastery North vs. TBD

Imhotep bracket

  1. No. 1 Imhotep vs. TBD

  2. No. 2 Masterman vs. TBD

Freire bracket

  1. No. 1 Freire vs. TBD

  2. No. 2 Central vs. TBD

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.