Section III girls basketball playoff preview: Favorites, contenders, dark horses for Class AAA, AA, A

With the Section III girls basketball postseason tipping off, reigning champions Liverpool (Class AAA), Nottingham (Class AA), and Utica Notre Dame (Class A) will each attempt to defend the titles they captured a year ago. The trio of programs enter the brackets as the measuring sticks for every contender, dark horse, and upstart hoping to spring a surprise in the single-elimination tournament.

Liverpool’s AAA crown sets the early pace in the largest classification, where the Warriors will face a field eager to dethrone the section’s top tier. In AA, Nottingham carries the target as last season’s victors, while Utica Notre Dame shoulders similar expectations in Class A after finishing on top in 2023. Each division promises high stakes as challengers plot paths to upset the incumbents and carve their own championship legacy.