Biography

Ziebell is a force on and off the court. She is the all time leading scorer in program history. She is either first or second in every statistical category.

She was named All Region and All-Area three times. She was also 1st team All Conference and Conference player of the year three times. She was also a two time honoree of the Gatorade’s Player of the Year for Wisconsin

Internationally, Ziebell is a Gold Medalist from the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup. She was also a U19 Women’s Basketball USA National Team member that competed in Spain in July of 2023.

After her senior season, she was name Ms. Basketball, as the top player in the state by the WBCA (Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association). She will continue on and off the court at the University of Connecticut.

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Community Service

Allie has been very active in youth camps and clinics for the past 4 years. She helps with every clinic or camp that were held in the fall, winter, and summer.

Professional Achievements

2x Gatorade Wisconsin's Girls Basketball Player of the Year honoree

Personal Honors

Will attend the University of Connecticut

Biography

Williams, a five star prospect, led Parkway to the Louisiana Non-Select Division I state title in March. The nation’s No. 1 college basketball career recruit with a 4.0 GPA, averaged over 17 points per game and seven rebounds per contest.

For the last two years, Williams was named a finalist for the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year Award. She also was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year. Williams closed-out her scholastic career by playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

She was also named 2023 Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year.

Williams has had success playing overseas during the summer. She led Team USA to gold medals in the FIBA U17 World Cup and FIBA 3X3 U18 World Cup.

She will play college basketball at LSU. Prior to her first season as a Tiger, it was announced in August of 2023, Williams was selected to compete with Team USA at the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup.

Records

Led team to State Championship as a Senior

Professional Achievements

Named finalist twice for the Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year Award

2x Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year

2023 Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attends Louisiana State University

Biography

Betts finishes her high school basketball career as a state champ. In March, after a 5-9 start to the season, Grandview won Colorado’s 5A state championship with 52-40 win over top-seeded Valor Christian.

She had 13 points in the title game, which also was the 13th win for the Wolves. She finished her career with over 1,500 points and over 1,000 rebounds. She averaged a double-double during her four-year career —16.1 points per game and 10.3 rebounds.

Betts was considered the top recruit in the Class of 2022 by HoopGurlz. She accepted a scholarship to Stanford. Betts is only the ‘fourth Colorado girl to win two Gatorade Player of the Year honors. Over the course of her scholastic career, she was named All-Conference and All-State all four years. As a senior, she was the CHSAA Player of the State.

Betts was also a two time gold medalist for Team USA playing on the FIBA U19 and U16 teams.

Records

Led team to State Championship as a senior

Professional Achievements

First-team Naismith High School All-American

2x Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attending Stanford University

Biography

Van Lith has been called Washington’s greatest girls’ basketball player of all-time, graduating from Cashmere as the state’s all-time leading scorer with 2,994 points. Van Lith, who carried a 4.0 grade point average, led her school to a runner-up in Washington 1A classification while averaging 32.6 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.2 steals.

Van Lith, who was considered the top guard recruit in the nation, has accepted a scholarship to play at the University of Louisville. She was a starter for the USA Basketball U19 Women’s World Cup Team and was named MVP of the 2019 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup. Van Lith was chosen to play in both the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

Van Lith is the first Washington athlete to win the NHSCA National Senior Girls’ Basketball Athlete of the Year Award.

Biography

Brunelle, who will attend Notre Dame University on a scholarship, closed-out her career 11^th on the Virginia all-time scoring list with 2,292 points and 6^th on the state’s all-time rebounding list with 1,267. Sam led William Monroe to the state’s Class 4A state semifinals this past season, finishing with a 24-3 record.

Brunelle, who played in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, led the United States to a gold medal in the 3X3 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also led Team USA to gold medals in the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championships.

Brunelle started in all 31 games as a freshman averaging 13.9 points, a conference high. She was named to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2020.

Professional Achievements

2018 FIBA U17 World Cup Gold Medalist

Personal Honors

Attends Notre Dame University

Biography

Brown, who will attend Stanford University on a basketball scholarship, is considered a 5-star recruit. After missing her entire junior year with a knee injury, she bounced back this past season by averaging 24 points per game with 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals per contest. She led her team to a 25-5 record, advancing The Lovett School to the Class AAA quarterfinals.

In her high school career, Brown logged 1,703 points and 572 rebounds.

In 2016 she was a member of the USA Basketball Under-17 National Team that won a bronze medal at the World Championships. Brown, who maintains an A-average in the classroom and volunteers in the community, was Gatorade’s Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

At Stanford, Brown has appeared in 58 games over her first two years. She missed the last seven games of her sophomore season. She went on to medically redshirt during the 2020-2021 season. She was part of the Pac-12 championship team as a freshman.

Professional Achievements

2018 Naismith High School Girls’ First Team All-American

2x All-State First Team

Personal Honors

Attends Stanford University

Biography

Katie Lou Samuelson capped-off an incredible high school career with a season that her coach Kevin Kiernan called “the greatest offensive performance he has ever seen.”

Samuelson, who will attend the University of Connecticut, averaged just under 30 points a game, which broke her own school season scoring average record.  She also set new marks for most points in a game (42, against Palisades) and most 3-pointers made in a season (117).

Samuelson made an immediate impact at UConn. She was named the ESPNW National Freshman of the Year. Her last three years she was a WBCA Coaches’ All-American and a First Team for the American Athletic Conference.

After college she was drafted the fourth overall pick at the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky.

Professional Achievements

Plays in WNBA 2018-present

ALL-USA Girls Basketball Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Connecticut

Biography

The only thing higher than Tyra Buss’ scoring average was her grade point average at Mt. Carmel.

Buss, who maintained a 5.0 GPA on a scale of 5, became Illinois’ all-time leading scorer in girls’ high school basketball during her three-year career.  She averaged 45.8 points per game as a senior while shooting 55.4% from the floor on her way to 4,897 career points, which is the second highest in the history of girls’ high school basketball in the United States.

The 5-7 guard also averaged 6.7 steals per game as a senior with 5.5 rebounds per contest and 3.6 assists. Buss, who was Gatorade’s Illinois Player of the Year and a Parade All-American, will attend Indiana University.

Buss is the second Illinois girls’ basketball player to be honored by the NHSCA. Current WNBA player Candace Parker (Naperville High School) of the LA Sparks was the 2004 honoree.

While at Indiana, Buss continued to stand out. She holds records in seven categories including points scored, assists, and steals. She lead the Hoosiers to the 2018 WNIT Championship, where she was named the Most Valuable Player. She was named to the Big Ten’s First Team three times. This feat has only been accomplished by two other players.

Since graduating, Buss spent some time playing overseas in Greece. In July of 2020 Buss was hired as an assistant coach at The University of Evansville.

Records

Illinois’ all-time leading scorer

Professional Achievements

3x All-Big Ten First Team Member

2x WBCA All-American, Honorable Mention

Gatorade's Illinois Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Indiana

Biography

Saniya Chong, who has accepted a scholarship to play college basketball at national powerhouse UConn, had an incredible season.  Saniya led her school to its first-ever New York State Public Schools state championship during the 2012-13 season.

Chong set a New York State single-season record with 928 points for an average of 34.4 points per game. Chong also averaged 9.1 assists per game.

While at UConn, Chong led the Huskies to  three National Championships. Her senior year, she was named to the NCAA All-Bidgeport Regional Team.

Chong entered the 2017 WNBA Draft where she was selected in the third round by the Dallas Wings. Chong continues to play in the WNBA presently.

Records

Led school to first public school State Championship

Holds NY Section 1's All-Time Point Leader

Professional Achievements

Plays in WNBA from 2017-present

Played on 3 NCAA National Championship Teams

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Connecticut

Biography

The 6-foot-4 forward’s record-breaking performance helped the Northstars become the first New York State Public High Athletic Association titlist since 2001 to win the AA New York State Federation Tournament of Champions. Stewart had a triple double – 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 blocks – in the AA Public championship game, then racked up 22 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks as Cicero-North Syracuse (23-3), ranked No. 10 in the final POWERADE FAB 50, routed reigning 14-time Public Schools Athletic League champion New York Murry Bergtraum High, 60-28 in the championship game. She also had 42 points and 22 rebounds in an 80-55 semifinal victory over Brooklyn Nazareth High, hitting 15 of 20 shots from the field. Her 64 points and 38 rebounds were both tournament records, and she averaged 26.4 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists as a senior.

The University of Connecticut signee was named the girls Morgan Wootten Player of the Year by McDonald’s, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the All-USA Today Player of the Year and the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. Last summer, Stewart averaged team highs of 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while playing just 19.9 minutes as the USA won the FIBA Under-19 world championship in Puerto Montt, Chile. She was the second youngest team member. She also was the only high school player to represent her country in the Pan-American Games last fall in Guadalajara, Mexico. She also played on two other gold medal-winning teams: the Under-16 national team (FIBA Americas, 2009) and the Under-17 national team (FIBA World Championships, 2010).

At the University of Connecticut Stewart continued her dominence in the sport. She led the Huskies to four NCAA National Championships during her career. She was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player all four years. She was named the national player of the year three times as well.

After graduating, Stewart was the number one overall WNBA draft pick by the Seattle Storm in 2016. She was named Rookie of the Year her first year. She was named an to the All Star team twice. In 2018, she was part of the WNBA’s Championship team and named the WNBA’s Finals MVP. In addition, she was honored as the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2018. After rupturing her Achilles, she was sidelined in the 2019-20 season. She was named as the league’s ambassador.

Records

Played on 2012 State Championship Team

Professional Achievements

Plays in WNBA 2016 - present

2x WNBA All Star Team Member

4x NCAA Final Four Outstanding Player

Played on 4 NCAA National Championships Team

2012 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year

2012 Gatorade National Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Connecticut

Biography

The 6-foot-3 forward was named the girls Morgan Wootten Player of the Year by McDonald’s, and she sparkled in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The Duke University signee scored a game-record 23 points in just 19 minutes, shooting 10-of-18 from the field, and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. She added two blocks as she led the East squad to a 78-66 victory over the West, earning Most Valuable Player honors. She also was named a Parade All-American and a First Team All-American by USA Today.

Williams concluded her high school career with a 19-point, 19-rebound, nine-block title-game performance, and led Princess Anne to a 31-1 record, a 24-game winning streak to close the season and a second consecutive Group 3A state title. That performance also earned her a nomination for NHSCA Athlete of the Month honors. Williams averaged 18.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks as a senior.   In her career she scored 1,628 points and grabbed 1,205 rebounds.

She was a member of the USA Basketball Women’s Under-17 National Team that won a world title last summer, averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 61.8 percent from the field.

Williams had an illustrious college career at Duke. She became the first four time AP All-American in ACC history. She is only the eighth overall in NCAA history. She was the second Duke player to post 1,000 career rebounds and second ACC player to be honored as First Team All-ACC four straight years. In the classroom, she was honored twice on the ACC Honor Roll.

After graduation, Williams was selected fourth overall by the Connecticut Suns. After one season, she was traded to the Atlanta Dreams. In 2016 she was named the Most Improved Player. Williams continues to shine in Atlanta.

Records

Led team to back to back state championships

Professional Achievements

Active in WNBA from 2015-present

2016 WNBA Most Improved Player

Morgan Wootten Female Player of the Year

Biography

The 6-foot-3 forward was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year after leading the Bobcats to a 36-1 record, the 5A state title and a No. 6 ranking from USA Today and a No. 7 ranking from ESPN RISE. Also the USA Today Player of the Year and the No. 1 recruit according to ESPNU and Blue Star Basketball, Ogwumike racked up 31 points and 18 rebounds in Cy-Fair’s 65-41 state championship game victory over Fort Bend Hightower High.

The Naismith National High School Girls Player of the Year, Ogwumike played in the McDonald’s All-American Game (14 points, 6-of-8 shooting, three rebounds) and averaged 22.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.1 blocks per game this season after averaging 21.4 points and 12.6 rebounds as a junior. Also a standout volleyball player, Ogwumike ranks No. 3 in her class academically and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. She will attend Stanford University, where her sister, Nneka, is a sophomore center.

While at Stanford, Ogwumike continued to excel. She was named the Pac-12 Rookie of the Year in 2011. She went on to be named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year her last three seasons and the Pac-12 Player of the Year the last two years. She and the Cardinals made three Final Four appearances during her career.

In 2014 Ogwumike was drafted as the number one draft pick by the Connecticut Sun. She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.  In 2015 Ogwumike missed the entire season due to a knee surgery but made a comeback and was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2016. She was traded to the Los Angels Sparks in 2019. She is a two time WNBA All-Star (2014 and 2019).

Professional Achievements

Played in the WNBA from

3x WBCA All-American

Gatorade National Basketball Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended Stanford University

Biography

The 5-foot-10 guard won the state’s scoring title, averaging 29.0 points per game, and also averaged 6.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 5.4 steals and 2.2 blocks to lead the Panthers to a 26-1 record and the Class 4A state championship game.   The Panthers fell 71-69 to the nation’s top-ranked team, Indianapolis Ben Davis High.

The Gatorade National Player of the Year led Washington to the state title game all four years of her high school career and the 2007 crown. She scored 2,790 points – the third highest total in state history – averaged 25.9 points per game in her career and led all scorers with 18 points in the McDonald’s All-America high school basketball game, adding five rebounds and three steals. Diggins also started all five games for the U.S. Under-18 team that won the FIBA Americas gold medal in 2008, averaging 10.8 points in 23.2 minutes per game. Also an outstanding student with a 3.91 grade-point average, she will attend the University of Notre Dame.

While at Notre Dame, she and the Irish went to the Final Four three consecutive years in a row. The Irish went on to win two NCAA titles during that time. She finished her career setting the bar in points and steals. She was second all- time at Notre Dame in assists. Diggins was honored twice with the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is given to the top point guard.

In 2013, Diggins, now Diggins-Smith, was the third overall draft pick for the Tulsa Shock. In 2014 she was the WNBA’s Most Improved Player. She is a four time WNBA All Star.

Internationally, in 2012 she won a Gold medal at the World Championships with Team USA.

Diggins led Notre Dame to three consecutive Final Fours and two consecutive NCAA championship appearances.

Professional Achievements

4x WNBA All Star

2x Nancy Lieberman Award honoree

2009 Gatorade National Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended Notre Dame University

Biography

The 6-foot-5 DelleDonne is the third girl to become a three-time Player of the Year selection by the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association after leading Ursuline Academy to its fourth state title in her five years as a varsity player. Despite missing 10 games this season due to mononucleosis, DelleDonne averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds in leading the Raiders to a 19-6 record and the No. 17 spot in the USA Today Super 25.

As a sophomore she set a national record by making 80 consecutive free throws, and her 2,818 career points are the most by any Delaware player of either gender. The State Farm/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association High School Player of the Year, DelleDonne is the third consecutive University of Connecticut commitment to earn Senior Athlete of the Year honors, joining Maya Moore of Suwanee, Ga. Collins Hill High (2007) and Tina Charles of Middle Village, N.Y. Christ the King High (2006) on the Huskies’ roster next season.

After a change of heart Delle Donne left Connecticut and enrolled at the University of Delaware and was the CAA Player of the Year and the CAA Rookie of the Year. As a junior and a senior, the Blue Hens qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Delle Donne was the second overall draft pick by the Chicago Sky in 2013. While in the WNBA, she was a six time All Star and was the MVP twice (2015 & 2019). In 2016 she was nominated for an ESPYS as the Best Female Athlete award. In 2017 she was traded to the Washington Mystics and in 2019 led them to the WNBA Team Championship.

Records

Played on 3 State Championship teams

Professional Achievements

6x WNBA All Star

2x WNBA Most Valuable Player

Biography

Moore ended her career with Miss Georgia Basketball honors after leading Collins Hill to a 125-3 record and three Class 5A state titles in her four-year career. Her team won its final 53 games with her on the court and ended this season ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Super 25. As a senior, the 6-foot forward averaged 27 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, five steals and two blocks and became only the third girls player to capture the Naismith Award twice.

She was also named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the WBCA Player of the Year and the USA Today National Player of the Year.   Maya averaged 10 points, six rebounds and four steals to help lead the USA Basketball Women’s Under-18 National Team to the gold medal in the 2006 FIBA Americas Championship. She will attend the University of Connecticut.

While at Connecticut, Moore led the team to two national titles.

She was the #1 overall pick at the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She led the Lynx to four WNBA titles during her 9 year career.

In addition to her WNBA career, Moore was on the gold winning Olympic teams in 2012 and 2016. She was also on the World teams that claimed gold in 2010 and 2014.

Professional Achievements

2x Olympic Gold Medalist

6x WNBA All Star

2011 WNBA Rookie of the Year

2007 Gatorade National Player of the Year

Biography

Charles led Christ the King to a second consecutive unbeaten season, the Royals going 30-0 and finishing No. 1 in the USA Today Super 25. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 26.5 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocked shots per game and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year, USA Today Player of the Year, New York State’s Miss Basketball and a McDonald’s All-American.

Her 49 points against Brooklyn Bishop Ford Central Catholic High this year is a school record, as are her 1,224 career rebounds. She will attend the University of Connecticut.

During her junior year at UConn Charles led the Huskies to a National Championships. She was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Charles is the lead scorer in UConn’s illustrious history.

Charles was the #1 overall WNBA Draft pick in 2010 by the Connecticut Sun. She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year. She led her way to the top of the leader board in rebounds. In 2014 Charles went to the New York Liberty. Charles was selected to the WBNA All-Star game for the sixth time in her career in 2018. In 2019 she became the Liberty’s all-time leading scorer.

Charles also won a Gold Medal at the 2012 and the 2016 Olympic Games with Team USA.

Professional Achievements

2x Olympic Gold Medalist

2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year

USA Basketball 2009 Female Athlete Of The Year

2010 Big East Conference Player of the Year

2006 USA Today Player of the Year

WBCA All American

Biography

A Duke University recruit, the 5-foot-11 shooting guard was voted the Gatorade National Player of the Year after leading ThunderRidge High to a record third consecutive Class 5A state title, a 26-2 record and the No. 8 ranking in the final USA Today Super 25.

The four-year starter averaged 32.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 5.7 steals per game as a senior and scored 61 points – 30 in the first quarter – and added 17 steals in her final regular-season home game. Also an outstanding student with a 3.95 GPA and a 27 on the ACT, she averaged 12 points and 3.8 assists for the gold-medal USA Junior World Team in 2004.

As a Blue Devil Waner went on to be a four year starter. She was a three-time first team All-ACC Tournament selection. She was a member of the 2006 NCAA Final Four squad.

Professional Achievements

2x Gold Medalist at the Junior World Championships

3x First team All-ACC Tournament selection

Personal Honors

Attended Duke University

Biography

Parker, a 6’3″ center, has been thought by many to be the best player in the nation for the past three years. She will become a Tennessee Volunteer as a collegian, after finishing high school as a three-time Illinois Miss Basketball with 2,758 career points. Parker overcame an off-season knee injury to lead her squad to its second straight Class AA state title, averaging 24.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.

While at Tennessee Parker was the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2007 and 2008. She was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2006 and the SEC Outstanding Athlete of the Year in 2007 and 2008.

Parker was the #1 overall draft pick of 2018, being scooped up by LA Sparks. She was named Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player. She is the first woman and only the third to relish with these two honors the same year (Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld are the other two).

A two -time Olympic Gold Medalist, Parker was named the MVP of the WNBA again in 2013. In 2016 Parker led the Sparks to the WNBA Championship. She was also the MVP of the Finals.

Professional Achievements

2x Olympic Gold Medalist

2x WNBA Most Valuable Player

5× All-WNBA First Team honoree

2008 Rookie of the Year in the WNBA

2007 Wade Trophy honoree

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Tennessee

Biography

“Brittany Hunter’s achievements in the classroom and on the basketball floor define the term student-athlete,” said NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro. “The NHSCA is proud to honor her with this award.”

Hunter, a 6’3″ center, was named Ohio’s Miss Basketball after leading Brookhaven to the state’s Division I Final Four in a season where she averaged 23.4 points and 17.6 rebounds a game. A 4.2-GPA student, Hunter first made a name for herself after following up an outstanding junior season with an appearance at the 2002 USA Basketball Women’s Youth Development Festival.

On one of the largest stages for a prep girl’s basketball player, Hunter shined as the best of 48 players in attendance. After averaging over 11 points and eight rebounds, and shooting nearly 60-percent from the field, on just 18 minutes a game, the recruiters were beginning to stand in line.  When Hunter followed up her efforts at the Development Festival with an even stronger senior season at Brookhaven, she found herself with choosing between the likes of Connecticut, Tennessee, Duke, Texas and Harvard. The 4.2-GPA student selected Duke University as the next step in a remarkable academic and basketball career.

After her Freshman year, Hunter announced she would be transferring to the University of Connecticut. She assisted the team in winning 2 Big East titles, 2 Big East Tournament championships and appearances in the Final Four during her time as a Huskie.

After coaching for a year at Temple University Hunter realized coaching was not for her. She went back to UConn and obtained for Master’s Degree in Sports Management. She has worked in the education fields and nonprofits along her journey. Most recently, Hunter graduated in 2020 with her MBA from Vanderbilt University.

Professional Achievements

Named Ohio's Miss Basketball

Personal Honors

Attended Duke University before transferring to the University of Connecticut

Obtained her Master's in Sports Management from UConn

Obtained her MBA from Vanderbilt University

Biography

“Athletes like Ann Strother are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “She has worked extremely hard to develop her skills and has become one of the best basketball players not only in the state of Colorado, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring her.”

Strother, who earned a scholarship to NCAA champion UConn, was selected for every leading national award, including the Gatorade High School Player of the Year, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year, and the James Naismith Award as the nation’s top player. In the inaugural McDonald’s Women’s All-American game, Strother scored 21 points and was named the game’s co-Most Valuable Player.

This year, she will be a starter on the U.S. Junior National Team as it competes in the World Championships, the only high scool player ever to do so.  In her high school career, Strother led Highlands Ranch to three consecutive Class 5A state titles, averaging 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game in her career. She also graduated with a 3.36 grade-point average and was a member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies. Sports Illustrated magazine also recognized Strother’s distinguished career with a mention in its “Faces in the Crowd” section this year.

While at UConn, the Huskies won two National Championships. Strother played in all 143 games and started 142. In 2013, she and her teammates were were inducted to Huskies of Honor.

In 2006 Strother was the 15th pick in the WNBA draft and played for 3 seasons.

Professional Achievements

WBCA All American

Played 3 years in the WNBA

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Connecticut

Made the Dean's List all 4 years

Biography

“Athletes like Shyra Ely are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “She has worked extremely hard to develop her skills and has become one of the best basketball players not only in the state of Indiana, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring her.”

The 6-foot-2 Ely, who will attend the University of Tennessee, was one of the nation’s most decorated players after scoring 2,004 points and pulling down 1,128 rebounds in her career, averaging 16.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

She was named Indiana’sMiss Basketball and was the winner of the girls Naismith Award, was selected as the Gatorade High School Player of the Year, and was named Player of the Year by USA Today.

As a Volunteer, Ely scored 1,673 career points over her 139 games. After Tennessee, Ely was the number 14th overall draft pick in 2005 by the San Antonio Silver Stars.  She played for various teams and concluded her career with the Indiana Fever.

Professional Achievements

WBCA All American

Named Player of the Year by USA Today

2001 Naismith Girl's High School Player of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Tennessee

Biography

The 5-feet-11 Thomason led Pickens County to the Women’s Final Four in Georgia. She was the winner of the Naismith Award as the state’s top female athlete as a junior and senior. As a junior, she averaged 25.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, added 59 blocks and 66 steals, and shot 59.2 per cent from the field and 71.1 per cent from the free-throw line. She was the subject of a cover story in Sports Illustrated for Women magazine as a senior and featured in the Faces in the Crowd section. She also maintained a 4.0 grade-point average and graduated in the top 15 per cent of her class.

“Athletes like Alison Thomason are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “She has worked extremely hard to develop her skills and has become one of the best athletes not only in the state of Georgia, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring her.”

Professional Achievements

2x Naismith Award Honoree

Named First Team All State

2014 Inductee of PHS Athletics Hall of Fame

Personal Honors

Attended Furman University