Category: Girls Basketball

No. 1 girls basketball prospect Sarah Strong commits to UConn Huskies

Big news for the Huskies’ future.

UConn and its fans are frustrated about the end of the extremely close semifinals game against Iowa on Friday night, but Saturday opened with some good news for the program.

Sarah Strong, the No. 1 girls basketball prospect on ESPN’s rankings, committed to the Huskies this afternoon. The 6-foot-2 power forward led Grace Christian to a 30-0 season and berth in the prestigious Chipotle Nations this year, graduating with three-year career averages of 23 points, 16.0 rebounds (5.3 on the offensive glass), 4.7 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

She won two gold medals in the 3×3 U18 World Cup, and this year, was the McDonald’s All-American Game co-MVP.

Strong, who committed very late in this cycle, gives UConn a final win this season. The highly touted senior chose the Huskies over a plethora of schools, including Duke and North Carolina, which rounded out her top three.

She showed her talent best against the top competition in high school. She was named McDonald’s MVP after posting a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and she one-upped that performance in the Chipotle Nationals as she recorded a remarkable 31 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, and five 3-pointers.

Strong was also a Naismith All-American this year.

UConn has a very strong class of 2024 that is plenty good to help continue their long rein of excellence. Allie Ziebell, ranked No. 4 in the class, and Morgan Cheli, ranked No. 18, join Strong as the new additions to the esteemed program.

They’ll be looking to join the likes of Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and other UConn alumni who have made an impact at the collegiate and WNBA levels.

Related: USA TODAY High School Sports Stars of the Week: Sarah Strong, Joyce Edwards, Dylan Harper, Cooper Flagg, Jayden Heavener

Montverde girls basketball three-peats as Chipotle Nationals champions

Led by Ohio State signee Jaloni Cambridge, Montverde girls completed the three-peat of the Chipotle Nationals by beating IMG Academy.

The Chipotle Nationals look different from last year after its sponsorship changed from GEICO, but on the girls’ end of the bracket, there’s still a constant:

The Montverde Eagles. The Montverde Eagles. And, for the third time in a row, the Montverde Eagles.

Led by Jaloni Cambridge, the team defeated IMG Academy in the championship 61-53 to complete the three-peat. Cambridge scored 17 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, capping an all-around excellent tournament run. She also posted a triple-double in the opening round and scored 33 points in the second round.

USC commit Vivian Iwuchukwu also had 17 points. She served as a reliable scorer alongside Cambridge this run, helping set the tone on the offensive end.

Montverde’s defense clamped down, particularly on the defensive end, where IMG made only two of 13 shots from behind the arc. Kelis Fisher was phenomenal for the Ascenders, scoring 24 points and going 8-for-11 from the free throw line, and Tajianna Roberts chipped in 16 points, but only three players scored at least 10 points. Outside of Fisher, Roberts and Deniaya Prawl, only three points were scored between five players, two of whom appeared for no more than three minutes.

The impact of Heloisa Carrera was limited. She grabbed a whopping 16 rebounds in the semifinals, but Montverde held her to just six this game.

Maybe most important was Montverde’s work against five-star Leah Harmon. The Miami commit only got up three shots and scored just one point, a testament to the defensive effort from the Eagles.

Montverde finishes its season 24-4 and got back one of those losses against IMG in February by winning on Saturday. It’s the perfect season-clincher for the senior class, which includes Cambridge, Iwuchukwu, and four-star Eris Lester. With three in a row, this team has the look of a dynasty.

The Eagles stormed both the boys and the girls brackets, sweeping the tournament and walking out as champions on both ends.

Related: Montverde boys basketball completes undefeated season with win at Chipotle Nationals

Maddy McDaniel talks special relationship with South Carolina’s Dawn Staley

South Carolina commit Maddy McDaniel breaks down her relationship with head coach Dawn Staley.

Even though South Carolina got involved late in her recruitment, Maddy McDaniel forged a strong relationship with head coach Dawn Staley. It is a relationship that impressed the McDonald’s All-American.

McDaniel, a guard from Bishop McNamara High School (Upper Marlboro, Maryland), spoke ahead of Tuesday night’s McDonald’s All-American Game. She is a five-star prospect per ESPN and is part of a stellar recruiting class pulled in by Staley.

South Carolina will face North Carolina State on Friday night in the Final Four.

During Monday’s press conference for the McDonald’s All-American Game, McDaniel was asked by USA TODAY High School Sports about her relationship with Staley.

“Such a great person like surprisingly, they were one of the later schools to come on in my recruitment,” McDaniel said.

“But I felt like there was just like with our relationship she’s just so down to earth you wouldn’t think that.”

The girls game will take place on Tuesday night, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Aubrey Beckham wins MVP of The Throne basketball tournament

Hebron Christian Academy, led by tournament MVP Aubrey Beckham, won The Throne national basketball championship.

Aubrey Beckham showed off the entirety of her skill set during The Throne as she led Hebron Christian Academy (Ga.) to the national basketball tournament’s championship.

The four-star junior posted a stat line of 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the 61-52 title game victory over South Shore’s Lady Vikings representative.

In the semifinals, Hebron Christian defeated Bishop Ireton behind 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists from Beckham and an impressive 23 points, 16 rebounds, and an assist from Ja’Kerra Butler.

Hebron Christian went 30-2 during its season, winning the championship in a tight 62-60 victory over Wesleyan. Beckham was named to the all-state first team; Butler was named to the second team, and Mia James and Danielle Osho were honorable mentions.

Beckham, a 5-foot-10 junior, was named All-Region 8-AAA Co-Player of the Year in both of the last two seasons, according to the team website.

She showed in this tournament that she’s not just dominant against Georgia teams — her peers around the nation also struggle to handle her play.

With this win, Hebron’s season culminates with its back-to-back state championships (after going 32-0 last year) and a national tournament title.

The basketball season is wrapping down, with just a handful of games around the country and the Chipotle Nationals coming up next week.

Hebron Christian can rest easy for the offseason, knowing most of its team, including Beckham, Butler, James, and Osho, will be back next year.

Joyce Edwards named 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year

Joyce Edwards, a three-sport all-state player on Camden, has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Last year, Joyce Edwards averaged 28.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game in a 29-2 championship season while being named all-state in three sports and posting a 5.04 GPA. This year, she averaged an otherworldly 31.3 points as she led Camden (S.C.) girls basketball to another championship — and has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year for her performance.

WNBA All-Star Satou Sabally presented Edwards with the trophy on Thursday, the culmination of a dominant high school career for the South Carolina commit.

(Gatorade Player of the Year/Joe Greer)

Edwards isn’t simply one of the best scorers in the country. She is a true creator, also averaging 4.0 assists per game. She grabs boards as well as anyone, averaging 13.3 rebounds per game as a senior. And she’s a top-tier defender, averaging a whopping 4.5 blocks and 3.3 steals per game, leading a team that outscored opponents by an average margin of 39.6 points per game.

She’s nearly as dominant on the soccer pitch. Through just 10 games this season, Edwards has 26 goals and 13 assists, according to MaxPreps — more than three times as many points as her next-highest teammate. On the 26-5 volleyball team that fell in the championship to Wren (Piedmont, S.C.), Edwards had a team-high 215 kills.

Edwards got back at Wren in the basketball championship, posting 27 points as she outscored the entire Wren team in a 44-22 title victory.

The 6-foot-2 forward is listed as the No. 2 player in ESPN’s 2024 high school recruit ranking. She has averaged at least 20 points every season since the eighth grade, according to MaxPreps. Edwards committed to South Carolina in November, telling Just Women’s Sports that the decision was about both championships and academics.

“I knew I wanted to win as many national championships as possible, and Dawn really convinced me she can get me to that level,” Edwards told the outlet.

She also said Dawn Staley worked with the honors college at South Carolina to help Edwards be placed in the right program.

“She tried her hardest and found ways to do it so I can get both experiences for my academics and athletics,” Edwards said to Just Women’s Sports. “It was just how hard she worked to not give up (on me).”

(Gatorade Player of the Year/Joe Greer)

Missouri girls basketball team’s winning streak reaches 131 games; has not lost since February 2020

Incarnate Word girls basketball stretched its winning streak to 131 games as it won the championship. It has not lost a game in four years.

Many, many things about life have changed since February 2020, but one thing remains the same: Incarnate Word girls basketball wins. And wins. And wins.

Last weekend, the Red Knights won the Class 6 girls basketball championship, extending their winning streak to an unbelievable 131 games. The last time they lost was Feb. 8, 2020, a four-year stretch for the high school athlete.

It’s the team’s seventh championship in a row.

Incarnate Word’s Abbie Sextro (35) holds the championship trophy following a Class 6 state championship girls basketball game between Kickapoo and Incarnate Word, Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

This one was particularly special, as Incarnate Word played with the mantra “win for Dan” after head coach Dan Rolfes was hospitalized after suffering what was described as a medical emergency the night before, according to MaxPreps and the St. Louis American.

Incarnate Word forced 18 turnovers in the 53-43 win over Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.). Kaylynn Janes, who never lost a game in her career, scored 16 points, while Peyton Hill led the team with 17. Nevaeh Caffey recorded a line of seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals, according to the STL American.

The Red Knights finished this season 31-0. The year before, they went 32-0. In both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, they posted a record of 29-0, which takes us to their most recent loss, the 2019-20 season, in which they went 27-4. After that loss on Feb. 8, 2020, Incarnate Word won the final 10 games, including the championship.

The entire run has been spectacular—a 28-2 championship season in 2019; a title run in 2018 saved by an overtime victory in the semifinals as the team went 28-5; a record of 27-4 the year before, and in 2016, a 28-5 season that ended in the semifinals.

But that 2016 game was just a blip, as they had won three straight titles from 2012-13 through 2014-15.

According to MaxPreps, the Red Knights broke the Missouri consecutive wins of 124 on Feb. 12. Rolfes won his 700th game as a coach in the quarterfinals.

Incarnate Word fans hold up signs honoring head coach Dan Rolfes, Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Rolfes experienced a medical emergency following a semifinal game Friday and was unable to coach the championship game.

GEICO Nationals high school basketball tournament rebrands as Chipotle Nationals

The GEICO national high school basketball tournament has a new sponsorship and location. The Chipotle Nationals will be held in Brownsburg, Indiana.

The high school basketball showcase known for nearly two decades as the GEICO Nationals has new sponsorship.

The tournament is rebranding as the Chipotle High School Basketball Nationals, it was announced on Thursday. It will now take place at Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Ind., about 20 miles outside of Indianapolis, after being played in Fort Myers, Fla., since 2021.

The 2024 boys and girls basketball showcase will take place from April 4-6. All games will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, whether ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

Competing teams will be announced in mid-March.

Last year, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) took down AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) to win the boys title and Montverde Academy (Fla.) beat Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) to win the girls championship. The final tournament under the sponsor of GEICO turned out to be a record-breaking event, as Link’s Elliot Cadeau set the record for assists in the tournament (29) and LoLu’s Kate Koval set a single-game scoring record with 38 points.

Now, the rights are turned to Chipotle, and the hosting honor goes to Indiana, which just had some practice with the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

As the calendar turns to April, we’ll see some future NBA and WNBA all-stars play in Brownsburg.

Kieonna Christmas becomes 10th prep player to post a quintuple-double

Kieonna Christmas celebrated December with an ultra-rare quintuple-double, becoming one of just 10 prep players to record that stat line.

Social media was abuzz this week as Kieonna Christmas’ outstanding December game sent shockwaves around the basketball corners of the internet.

The Fonda-Fultonville (New York) High School senior posted an unbelievable stat line: 11 points, 20 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals, 10 blocks, according to Penn Live. In doing so, she drove the Braves to a 55-50 win over Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons (Schenectady, N.Y.) in overtime.

According to MaxPreps, Christmas is the 10th prep player to record a line of double-digit numbers in each of those categories. This game was just the 13th time it has happened.

Hall of Famer and former WNBA star Tamika Catchings is the first recorded prep player to do so, according to MaxPreps. In 1997, she recorded a line of 25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals and 10 blocks.

Aquillin Hayes, a girls basketball player who graduated in 2011, is recorded to have recorded a quintuple-double three times in high school, while Takiya Webb, Class of 2010, did so twice.

Only three players to do so were boys, and two of them happened last year, according to MaxPreps: Jaydon Awe and Thomas Armbruster both accomplished the feat from Jan. 20-27, 2023.

Overtime posted highlights of Christmas. Based on the jerseys, it looks like some highlights took place against Notre Dame, while others were from another game:

At 6-foot, Christmas is the tallest player listed on the MaxPreps roster. She used that size effectively to get to 10 steals and blocks apiece, the toughest of the five double-digits to attain.

Fonda-Fultonville is 9-13 this season, having bounced back from a four-game losing streak to pick up wins in its last two games. The Braves have a game against 17-5 Mechanicville (N.Y.) on Sunday.

Washington HS athletic department sees punches thrown at basketball game, injuries in running drill

A Shelton High School girls basketball player got into a brawl on the court, and a running drill at school allegedly resulted in injuries.

Punches were thrown during a girls high school basketball game in Washington on Jan. 31, the second incident involving the Shelton High School athletic department over the last couple weeks.

During the game between Shelton and Aberdeen, two players were going after the ball when a scuffle ensued. The video of the incident appears to show the Aberdeen player reaching around the Shelton player’s neck to go for the ball, and the Shelton player reacted defensively and aggressively by tackling the opponent and throwing three punches before a teammate pulled her off. Local podcast The Scrimmage posted the video onto social media platform X:

According to KIRO7, the Shelton player, who is 18 years old, was issued a criminal citation and will appear in front of a judge.

The player who was punched was evaluated for injury and able to return to the game, according to The Scrimmage. Aberdeen went on to win the game.

Just a day before, some parents at Shelton High School contacted KIRO7 about a different incident in which football players in a weight-lifting class took part in an “impromptu running drill.” Allegedly, the coach took student-athletes to the girls wrestling room to practice running the ball up the middle instead of taking it to the outside. In the drill, other students would tackle the person performing the drill, and there were allegedly no pads or helmets, parents who spoke to the outlet said.

Parents alleged that injuries included a concussion, a broken finger and a broken rib.

The police department told KIRO7 that it had not received any calls or reports about the incident.

Pair of Long Beach high school coaches resigned in January due to parental treatment

Two head coaches from Long Beach high schools, Erin Carey and Curtis Boyer, described parental harassment that led to their resignations.

A pair of high school basketball head coaches in Long Beach, Calif., announced resignations last month due to what they described as harassment from parents.

In early January, Wilson High School girls basketball head coach Erin Carey told The562 she was stepping down due to “relentless criticism on my integrity and character based on decisions I made within the program.” Assistant coaches DJ Butler and Samantha McComb also resigned from the program during winter break.

On Jan. 25, Millikan High School boys basketball coach Curtis Boyer told The562 he was leaving his role in the wake of parents yelling at players during in-game huddles to not listen to Boyer, as well as challenging him about playing time during games and following him to the team bus.

“The way it’s gotten is that the last few weeks I’ve been stressed, I’m not sleeping, it’s really been getting to me,” Boyer said to the outlet. “I don’t need it — I poured everything into this program, blood, sweat and tears for eight or 10 hours a day.”

Both head coaches led their respective programs to success during their tenure. Carey helped lead Wilson to a CIF-SS Div. 3A championship in 2020, and the team maintained a record over .500 the next two years. Last season, the Bruins went 11-12 and, as of Feb. 4, are 9-13 this year.

According to The562, Boyers in 2022 helped Millikan get its first-ever state playoff win, as the team advanced to the regional semifinals. This season, after two important players transferred, the team is 6-18.

Both former head coaches spoke to NBC Los Angeles over the past week.

“I’m hoping it’s a wake-up call. Just cheer your kid on, just be a parent,” Carey told the outlet.

“You let the coaches coach, and the players play, and just be a parent. It’s not happening anymore,” Boyer said.