STARTERS
G. London Augustin, Robinson–Augustin entered the Rams’ starting lineup immediately and continued to improve throughout the season, becoming a major factor by playoff time–even leading the Rams in scoring in the Occoquan Region Championship. She’s athletic, has a good handle, and is effective at attacking the rim, and has the green light to shoot the three. Where she really made an impact this year was picking pockets on defense and in transition.
G. Alice Allen, Langley–Langley’s two talented freshmen burst on the scene from day one, announcing themselves with 14 points apiece in a 39-23 early season win over Robinson. Allen, a 5’7″ guard, went on to be voted Liberty District Rookie of the Year. When she got hot, she got really hot, such as when she scored 28 points in the Liberty District Championship. Allen is a good three-point shooter with solid hands who likes to run and finish fast breaks. She’s a weapon well beyond her years.
F. Mariah Armah, Langley–Armah could easily have been the co-Rookie of the Year in the Liberty. The long “small” forward was extremely challenging for opponents to handle, demonstrating impressive footwork for a young player her size when attacking from the perimeter. Her length could be even more of a weapon on defense–she had nine steals in a win over Yorktown. The worst part about having to guard Armah is, she’s not a bad three-point shooter either. You could almost see her defenders despair when they realized they couldn’t sag off her to play her drive first.
F. Sami White, Loudoun County–Very few freshmen offered the sort of consistent production White did for the Captains this season. Another “small” forward, the 5’11” White led her team in points, rebounds and blocks this season. She is versatile on defense, able to defend a center down low and then switch onto a perimeter opponent. White delivered consistent double-double type production this season and her length and relentless nature helps her to get to the line frequently. As her game expands there’s potential for dominance here.
G. Taylor Williams, Paul VI–Williams quietly had an excellent season for the Panthers, earning Honorable Mention All-WCAC. We love her fearless nature, energy, and ability to push the ball. The point guard doesn’t need to slow up on the break to finish, and she has good length at around 5’8″. Williams is a weapon from three and is a solid perimeter defender. She did a very respectable job as a distributor this season and running the Panthers’ offense, looking anything but freshman-like by the end of the season.
RESERVES
F. Olivia Ferguson, Stafford–Stafford was powered by a lot of young talent this season, especially by double-double machine Olivia Ferguson. The 5’10” Ferguson in fact averaged a double-double, at around 13 ppg and 12 rpg, and was voted Commonwealth District Player of the Year. She has excellent anticipation, not just on the glass but also with getting into passing lanes. She’s a good passer too–the type of player you can absolutely run an offense through.
F. Raegan Brimhall, Colonial Forge–There’s a good amount of young talent in the Commonwealth District, and Raegan Brimhall made a significant impact this season at the Forge. Like Ferguson, Brimhall is another double-double threat–we watched her score 17 and grab 15 rebounds in a win over Riverbend. Brimhall likes to push the ball down the floor off rebounds, and has a nice jump shot both in the post and from midrange. Shout out here to her fellow freshman, teammate Sydni Nicholson, a promising guard who also has a bright future.
G. Makayla Titus, Woodgrove–Titus impressed coming off the bench for a loaded Woodgrove team this season and looks like a future star. The guard is extremely quick and athletic and can turn on a dime, attacking the rim before defenders can come close to recovering. Her ability to change the tempo of the game and score quickly earned Titus Second Team All-Catoctin honors. She has the potential to put up sick assist numbers getting into the lane and dishing out to the Wolverines’ numerous three-point shooters.
G. Zoey Coffer, Woodbridge–Coffer did a great job in her first year on varsity. As a cerebral coaches’ daughter she predictably understands the game very well for her age. The Vikings guard scored about 10 a game and dished out over three assists per game on her way to earning Second Team All-Cardinal District honors. Coffer has very good handle and a quick first step, with good court vision and passing ability to boot. She can score in a variety of ways and is a major reason Woodbridge should be a postseason factor in the seasons to come.
G. Anne Hall, Marshall–A freshman guard that impressed us every time we saw her live was Anne Hall of Marshall. She played within the offense and was efficient from three-point range, hitting at a 34% clip for the season. Unselfish, she doesn’t always score in bunches, but she certainly is capable of that–against South Lakes she went for 18 in a 41-28 win. Life Coffer, she definitely seems like a guard who understands the game and will give maximum effort.
F-C. Rylee Spinner, Hayfield–On a Hayfield team loaded with talent, it was still not-too-difficult for the Hawks to find this one minutes. Voted Rookie of the Year in the National District, Spinner has many double-doubles in her future and had those type of games on several occasions this year. Her size and athleticism are considerable and she has a nice jump shot around the rim. She has considerable defensive ability as well. Her blocked shots wow the crowd, but Spinner also has a nice ability to move her feet and deny post entry passes.
F. Lacey Pollard, Broad Run–Pollard caught our eye in a loss to Woodgrove in which she contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. That showed us her ability to influence the game in a number of ways, especially offensively. She will take a three-pointer with no hesitation and has a quick release. It’s rare to find a freshman that can bang effectively down low, but Pollard can, and she’s certainly able to hold her own against bigger and older players on the boards. Pollard should help to keep Broad Run in the playoff hunt for years to come.
HONORABLE MENTION
Brooklyn Madison (Gainesville); Anna Jungman (Washington-Liberty); Tanisha Srinivas (Briar Woods); Sydni Nicholson (Colonial Forge); Paige McKavish (Clarke County); Camryn Logan (Skyline); Sanaa Jenkins (Stafford); Emily Linegang (Madison); Sophia Manning (Madison); Siena Ang (Woodson); Chloe Sombillo (Lightridge); Layla Brownlee (Stone Bridge); Keeley Billings (Stone Bridge); Tatiana Doane (Potomac Falls); Elle LaFeir (Independence); Giselle Hunter (Edison); Gabrielle Barnes-Thomas (Alexandria City); Bridget Creed (Meridian); Mackenzie Jones (Millbrook); Mckenzie Bell (Liberty); Payton Harrison (Herndon); Charlotte Gaskins (McLean); Lucy Strawn (Wakefield); Molly Cooper (Yorktown); Sienna Eng (Dominion); Kamiera Willis (Bishop Ireton); Abigail Isabela Santos (Westfield); Kai Jones (Osbourn Park); Nini Makec (Christ Chapel)