High school girls basketball preview: The top teams, players in the South Sound in 2021
Questions about whether or not high school basketball would be played across Washington loomed earlier this year with the COVID-19 pandemic limiting indoor sporting events, but programs around the South Sound have officially opened their seasons — and there is a lot to be excited about.
Similar to the first two seasons this spring — which included traditional fall and spring sports — traditional winter seasons will be condensed without state playoffs, though most leagues still plan to decide their champions in small postseason formats.
The Class 4A and 3A North Puget Sound Leagues begin play next week. The 4A South Puget Sound League and 3A Pierce County League are already underway, and returned to home gyms this week after opening their seasons on recently built courts at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup. The 2A South Puget Sound League comes home next week after opening its schedule at the Northwest Sports Hub in Centralia, while the 3A South Sound Conference and 2A Evergreen Conference have also opened their seasons. Schools in smaller leagues in the area are also starting up.
There will be a lot of basketball played in the coming weeks. Here is an overview of the top girls programs and players around the South Sound this spring:
THE TOP TEAMS
4A NPSL
The 4A NPSL is no longer a 16-team super league after seven of its teams returned to the 3A classification to form the 3A NPSL ahead of this school year, and two others departed for the 3A KingCo and 2A SPSL. But, make no mistake, even with only seven of its schools remaining at the 4A level — Decatur, Federal Way, Kennedy Catholic, Kentridge, Kentwood, Mount Rainier and Tahoma — this league is still loaded with talent. Decatur and Kentwood — which both advanced to the 4A state regionals and 2020 — and Tahoma should all battle for the league’s top spot behind three returning point guards who made quick impacts last season as freshmen. Jewel Young (10 points, four assists and three rebounds per game in 2020) is back for Decatur after earning 4A NPSL Olympic first-team honors last season, while two 4A NPSL Cascade first-team guards in Kentwood’s Jersey Huerta (15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists) and Tahoma’s Hope Hassmann (19 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists) also return for their sophomore seasons. The Conquerors have experience and depth, bringing back much of their group, including another first-team pick in senior guard Savannah Huerta. Tahoma is young, but should still give opponents trouble with its press and quick tempo. Kentridge graduated reigning 4A NPSL Cascade MVP Jordyn Jenkins, who is now at USC, as well as other key pieces, but the Chargers are perennially competitive, and advanced to the state tournament each of the past four seasons, bringing back three trophies and a title in 2017.
4A SPSL
Similar to how the league was set up during the first two high school sports seasons this spring, basketball will be broken down into two divisions. The North Division includes newcomers Gig Harbor and Peninsula — which typically play in the 3A SSC, but opted to play in Pierce County this school year — in addition to Bellarmine Prep, Curtis, South Kitsap and Sumner. The South Division includes Bethel — which has reclassified from 3A — Emerald Ridge, Graham-Kapowsin, Olympia, Puyallup and Rogers. Two of these teams — Bellarmine Prep and Rogers — advanced to the first round of the bracket in 4A last season, while Bethel advanced to the 3A quarterfinals and brought home a sixth-place trophy before returning to the 4A ranks. Sumner is the early favorite in the North Division behind junior forward Catelyn Deaver, who was a 4A SPSL first-teamer last season and averaged a double-double with 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, and twin sister Alyson Deaver who is back from multiple knee surgeries. Rogers won the league last season and is the South Division front runner. The Rams lost reigning MVP Raigan Barrett and defensive MVP Rachel Wicker to graduation, but return key players in guards Jenai Ancheta, Allyson Pettit and Karinna Tel and forward Alexa Caulfield. But, don’t forget about Bethel, which should be a factor by midseason, and returns Portland State-bound point guard Esmeralda Morales, last season’s 3A PCL offensive player of the year and a returning TNT All-Area pick. Bellarmine Prep, Emerald Ridge and Gig Harbor could also be in the mix.
3A NPSL
Todd Beamer returned to the 3A ranks this year along with Auburn, Auburn Mountainview, Auburn Riverside, Kent Meridian, Kentlake and Thomas Jefferson. Given the tradition the Titans have built in recent seasons with coach Corey Alexander — eight consecutive trips to the state playoffs and three trophies, including a sixth-place finish in 2020 — they should always be considered a favorite to contend for a league crown. Auburn Riverside topped Todd Beamer by one point in a 4A NPSL Olympic meeting early in the 2016-17 season, but the Titans haven’t dropped a regular season game against a division opponent since. They have won 49 consecutive league contests, including undefeated runs through the 4A NPSL Olympic each of the past three seasons. Leading scorer and two-time 4A NPSL Olympic MVP Aaliyah Alexander, a TNT All-Area pick in 2020, now plays at Eastern Washington, and the Titans also graduated several more key contributors, but both guard Alisaudria Hardwell and forward Ahjeawnna Sterling return after playing valuable minutes as sophomores.
3A PCL
Bethel swept this league last season behind reigning MVP and TNT All-Area player of the year Tiarra Brown, who now plays at Grand Canyon, advanced to the 3A state quarterfinals and brought home a sixth-place trophy. But, the Braves are back playing in the 4A SPSL now, meaning two of the league’s other perennial powers — Tacoma Public Schools rivals Lincoln and Wilson — will likely battle for the title this spring. The Abes advanced to the first round of the 3A state tournament in 2020, and return senior forward Sharayah Johnson (19.5 points, 11 rebounds, 1.5 blocks last season), a 3A PCL first-team pick and matchup nightmare for opponents, as well as guards Kristol Ayson, Azriah Blackburn and Malani Warren, who could also be key contributors. Denver commit Joclyen Wyatt as back to lead the Rams after averaging 19.1 points, seven rebounds, 4.8 assists and three steals last season on her way to 3A PCL first-team honors, while guards Jayauna Keister, Faith Jackson and Aaliyah Walker, and forward McKenna Jacobs should also factor in.
3A SSC
Longtime Yelm coach Russ Riches is set to retire at the end of the season, and is on track to wrap up his 30-year career with the Tornados — including the past 25 as the program’s head coach — with a league title. This league is smaller this season with only five teams — Gig Harbor and Peninsula are playing in the 4A SPSL this school year, Central Kitsap is staying in Kitsap County and Shelton now in the 2A EvCo — including Capital, North Thurston, newcomer River Ridge, Timberline and of course Yelm, which convincingly swept each of its opponents in the first of three rounds of league contests. Yelm’s average margin of victory in the first set of games was 33 points, and the Tornados won each of those games by at least 26 points. They certainly seem in position to run the table, a season after Capital edged them for the 3A SSC crown on the way to a state tournament appearance. Reigning league MVP Maddie Plevyak has graduated, but the Tornados do return another first-team pick in senior forward Bayleigh Harder, who is averaging 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game early, as well as senior guard My’Kel Jones, who is averaging 14.8 points, 3.6 steals and three assists. Yelm’s solid group of seniors, supplemented by talented freshmen — including forward Henlee Sherman, who is pitching in 6.2 points and 6.8 boards per game — have made the Tornados unstoppable so far.
2A SPSL
White River is inching closer to the century mark — Wednesday’s early-season win over Clover Park gave the Hornets their 90th consecutive win in a league contest. That streak is expected to continue as 2A SPSL teams — which opened their schedules at the Northwest Sports Hub in Centralia — return to Pierce County to play out the rest of their seasons. The Hornets remain as solid as ever, and return reigning 2A SPSL East co-MVP Kara Marecle, who became the seventh player in White River’s program history to eclipse 1,000 points in a win over Fife earlier this week. The senior guard leads a proven group that also includes two more key senior guards in returning 2A SPSL East first-teamer Taylor Schmidtke and Rylie Lund. The Hornets advanced to the first round of the state tournament bracket last winter, marking their 12th consecutive appearance in the state playoffs. League rivals Fife and Franklin Pierce advanced to the regional round in 2020. The 2A SPSL also adds former 4A NPSL member Enumclaw this season, which could be another contender.
2A EvCo
The three usual contenders in this league — Black Hills, Tumwater and W.F. West — each return from state tournament appearances in 2020. The T-Birds, who won the league title last season, advanced to the semifinals in Yakima, and brought home a third-place trophy behind three talented sophomores in reigning 2A EvCo co-MVP Aubrey Amendala (16 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in 2020), Isabella Lund and Natalie Sumrok. The Bearcats reached the quarterfinals behind talented wing Drea Brumfield, who is committed to Pepperdine. Black Hills reached the first round, but graduated league co-MVP Megan River.
Small schools
Syracuse signee Julianna Walker is back to wrap up a historic career after guiding Annie Wright to a fourth-place trophy in the 1A state tournament last season — the best finish in program history. The senior guard, and returning TNT All-Area pick, entered the season with 2,491 career points, and could potentially chase down the state’s all-time record, held by former Cashmere standout and current Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith (2,993), who reset the record last season. Annie Wright won the 1A Nisqually last season, and is the favorite to win another title behind Walker and junior guard Jazmyn Stone, a Division I recruit who is back from injury, as well as junior Bella Spencer and sophomores Tala Mitchell and Claire Sagio. Cascade Christian (1A) and Muckleshoot Tribal (1B) were two more locals that advanced to the state regionals last season.
30 PLAYERS TO WATCH
G Aubrey Amendala, Tumwater, jr.
G Jenai Ancheta, Rogers, jr.
G/F Drea Brumfield, W.F. West, jr.
G Piper Bauer, Peninsula, sr.
F Alyson Deaver, Sumner, jr.
F Catelyn Deaver, Sumner, jr.
G Hayley Flores, Auburn Mountainview, jr.
G Atreonia Garner, Spanaway Lake, soph.
F Bayleigh Harder, Yelm, sr.
G Alisaudria Hardwell, Todd Beamer, jr.
G Hope Hassmann, Tahoma, soph.
G Kendall Hooper, Capital, sr.
G Jersey Huerta, Kentwood, soph.
G Savannah Huerta, Kentwood, sr.
F Sharayah Johnson, Lincoln, sr.
G Azaria Landry, Timberline, soph.
G Linsey Lovrovich, Peninsula, sr.
G Kara Marecle, White River, sr.
G Esmeralda Morales, Bethel, sr.
G Allyson Pettit, Rogers, sr.
G Taylor Schmidtke, White River, sr.
G/F Alyssa Smith, Bethel, soph.
F Ahjeawnna Sterling, Todd Beamer, jr.
G Jazmyn Stone, Annie Wright, jr.
F Natalie Sumrok, Tumwater, jr.
G Julianna Walker, Annie Wright, sr.
G/F Avery Watkins, Kennedy Catholic, jr.
G Joclyen Wyatt, Wilson, sr.
G Baylee Young, Gig Harbor, soph.
G Jewel Young, Decatur, soph.
This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
