Who will take the Liberty District this year on the girls side?
South Lakes made states last year, but didn’t even win the Liberty District tournament. You could have something similar happen this year in the Liberty. We expect the competition to be intense.
We’ll go with the Seahawks as the favorite. Christy Winters Scott’s team has a solid majority back from a team that went 22-7 last year. Her daughter Brianna Scott is a very tall forward who can hurt you from inside and out. She’s been very good, but she’s a special talent that should start dominating.
The guards are very good. Leila Copeland is lightning quick and can score points about as fast as anyone in the region when she’s hot. Nina Boffman and Margo Somer are underrated shooting guards who play excellent defense. Winters Scott is high on last year’s starting JV point guard Nicole Forbes, who will provide needed depth when Copeland needs a break. That’s huge.
As good as South Lakes is, Herndon has the potential to be just as good. The Hornets were very young last year but still finished .500 in the Liberty. They retain most of their team from last year and add two impact transfers: UVA signee and senior center Nycerra Minnis and junior guard Alexis Kuhlman.
Minnis will enable Herndon to bang inside. She’s not a dominant scorer inside yet, so there is still some potential for growth there. As with the rest of the team, because there is only three seniors on the roster. One of those is Maddie Kimble, one of the region’s better guards. Kimble leaves it all on the floor and is always fun to watch.
Last year’s district tourney champs was McLean. The Highlanders are regular season and district tournament contenders this season as well. That is because first and foremost Liberty Player of the Year Elizabeth Dufrane returns. The shooting guard and Drexel commit will see more defensive attention than perhaps any player in NOVA.
The Highlanders have the potential to make defenses pay for keying on Dufrane, and must do so to reach its goals. Junior forward Kendall Jones is a very good player when healthy. Coach Jen Sobota thinks small forward Mia Fitzgerald is ready to develop into an elite player with her length and speed.
Senior point guard transfer Crystal Kim should help fill the void left by the departed Mariane Auza. Sobota also thinks freshman combo guard Shushan Krikorian will make her mark felt by season’s end. The Highlanders have started the season fast, with their only loss coming to #4 Madison.
The Langley Saxons proved they can still be a good team even without guard Jordyn Callaghan last year. The top of the district may be even tougher this year, but it’s a good bet the Saxons can win at least half of their district games again. They are already off to a good start this year with wins over T.C. Williams and Potomac Falls.
One of the most underrated players in NOVA is Langley senior forward/center Marya Mufti. She was a consistent 12/8 player last year and coach Amanda Baker says she’s improved her scoring and rebounding this season. That is a powerful building block to rely on down low.
If the Saxons can consistently hit from outside to open up Mufti down low, look out. Six other players from last year’s roster return. Those kids have to step up and likely will. Sophomore point guard Annabeth (AB) Holsinger is back after getting invaluable experience running the Langley attack as a freshman. She looks bigger and stronger now and is a potential star–will it be this year?
Yorktown rebuilds after losing all-everything Liz Shean and Maggie Shipley, but the Patriots have talent. Coach DeVaughn Drayton got a very strong freshman class that will help immediately. Drayton kept seven of them on his roster and with the Patriots’ penchant for pressure defense, most if not all will play a good deal.
The other returnees have to step up. Senior Maddie Winer is a strong an athletic point guard who has to look for her shot far more than she did with Shipley and Shean. She has ample experience having played since she was a freshman. Sophomore forward Ana Bournigal got experience last year and will also have to step up her game.
Yorktown is extremely young, so the Patriots will take some beatings against good teams this year. This roster can play, though, and if Yorktown can rebound and force turnovers the Patriots will get some upsets.
Faith Randolph is the new coach at Washington & Liberty. She’s a former star at the University of Virginia. Her team lacks height inside but is stacked with talent in the backcourt. The Generals will no doubt lean on senior guard Jordan Mosley. Despite all the talent in this district we expect Mosley to be one of its best players.
There’s enough other seniors on the roster where if the Generals play smart they can surprise some very good teams. The young talent will have to continue to develop as well–sophomore wing Claudia Andrade impressed last year and should play a bigger role this season.
–Chris Jollay