D1 Women: 10 locals shining early on outside of New England

Payton Linnehan on the dribble for Penn State against Hofstra. (Mark Selders)

On a national level, there are several Division 1 women's programs in New England that are routinely competitive. But the reality is that most of the country's top teams play outside of the six states we call home.

That doesn't mean the New England connections come to a screeching halt, though. It's quite the opposite, as top-25 teams are littered with local players who enjoy crucial roles.

That's again the case in 2019, with players from the region starring at schools in the ACC, Big Ten, Ivy League and more.

Here are 10 who have turned heads the most, with one criteria for consideration: being from New England. They're sorted below in alphabetical order.