LANGLEY — After a one-year hiatus, it’s once again time to tip our collective hoop hat to all of talented players that make the B.C. girls high school basketball world such an exciting one to follow.
This season, the B.C. Secondary Schools Girls Basketball Association is presenting its Top 5 players in each of the four tiers.
The theme here? Teams of five. There isn’t a singular Player of the Year, yet with the re-start campaign being all about pulling together to play the game we love, it’s somehow fitting.
So here’s our four Top 5’s, presented in alphabetical order.
Varsity Letters is proud to present the all of the selections, one day before tip-off at the B.C. championships at both the Langley Events Centre (2A, 3A, 4A) and Kelowna Christian (1A), but we did not participate in any part of the selection process.
QUAD-A
LAUREN CLEMENTS
School: Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam)
Height: 5-foot-5
Grade: 12
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals.
The skinny: Noted as one of the best two-way players in B.C., the future Fraser Valley Cascade is a defensive stopper who can facilitate an offence, and go get offensive rebounds.
MARAH DYKSTRA
School: Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver)
Height: 6-foot-2
Grade: 12
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks.
The skinny: Rare combination of size and dynamism, she revels in physical play with a nose for the ball, but also boasts an open-floor game that plays to the strengths of a high-tempo pace. Will play next season at NCAA Div. 1 Montana State.
STELLA LAGRANGE
School: Okanagan Mission Huskies (Kelowna)
Height: 5-foot-10
Grade: 12
Position: Wing/forward
The numbers per: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals.
The skinny: Brings a drive and dedication to the game that can lift a team. The UBC Thunderbirds recruit not only scores big points for her Huskies, but is just as apt to change a game with her ability to be a disruptive force on defence.
KIERA PEMBERTON
School: Walnut Grove Gators (Langley)
Height: 6-foot
Grade: 11
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 34 points, 14 rebounds
The skinny: One of two underclassmen in the Quad-A top five, Pemberton has already committed to begin her college basketball career at the University of North Dakota. As explosive as they come taking it to the rim, she also averages a points-rebound double/double.
AVERY SUSSEX
School: Riverside Rapids (Port Coquitlam)
Height: 5-foot-7
Grade: 10
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals.
The skinny: Prodigious talent despite being a Class of ’24 grad, Sussex leads her No. 1-ranked team in every major statistical category, and her IQ and vision, as the team’s Grade 10 point guard, is off the charts. Attacks off the dribble, pulls up to shoot threes, but thrives most in getting her teammates involved.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Kanani Coon (6-1, G 11, Kelowna-Okanagan-Mission); Brooke Kendal (5-9, G 12, Port Coquitlam-Riverside, UVic); Fania Taylor (5-9, G 12, Langley-Walnut Grove, Ottawa); Lakresha Edwards (5-9, G 11, Abbotsford); Cerys Merton (5-5, G 12, Port Coquitlam-Terry Fox, UBC)
TRIPLE-A
CASSIDY BUCHANAN
School: Brookswood Bobcats (Langley)
Height: 5-foot-10
Grade: 12
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 22.5 points, 53.5% FG, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals.
The skinny: What’s most innate about the Trinity Western-bound guard is the leadership and accountability element she brings to a team environment. There’s also a versatile skill set that plays both off her size, her toughness and her guard-based skills which make her an intriguing piece at the next level on the defensive side of the ball.
SAHNYA GILL
School: Brookswood Bobcats (Langley)
Height: 6-foot-1
Grade: 12
Position: Forward
The numbers per: 16.2 points, 51.2 per cent FG, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks.
The skinny: Along with her height, Gill brings an excellent mid-range shooting game, and as she proved on AAU circuit this past summer, she is an elite defender able to thrive in a physical environment. Has a natural ability to use her length on the court to block or alter shots. Begins her collegiate career next season as NCAA Simon Fraser.
JADE HUYHN
School: Burnaby Central Wildcats
Height: 5-foot-3
Grade: 11
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 19.2 points, 5.5 assists, 5.2 steals, 4.8 rebounds, 1.9 turnovers.
The skinny: Inch for inch, perhaps the province’s most dynamic player. Shoots a silky trey, owns a mid-range game and loves to attack the rim. Her quick hands and her natural instincts and motor have helped raise her defensive game. Her leadership abilities continue to blossom.
MARINA RADOCAJ
School: R.A. McMath Wildcats (Richmond)
Height: 6-foot-2
Grade: 11
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 20 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 assists.
The skinny: She’s long and athletic, and last summer played on Canada’s Under-16 team. Radocaj has that rare ability to thrive in the paint, and as the point guard with a multitude of skills that make her as versatile and complete as they come. Has had as many as 15 blocks in a game over the course of her high school career.
MAKENNA REIMER
School: MEI Eagles (Abbotsford)
Height: 5-foot-11
Grade: 12
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 18 points, 7 rebounds.
The skinny: Spent the cancelled season honing her jump-shooting game and the results have been fantastic for Reimer, who now not only gets to the hoop with regularity, but also can keep a defence static with her three-point shooting range. A tireless worker, she’s also her team’s captain.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Jazmin Avila (5-11, G 12, Abbotsford-MEI), Sidney Giesbrecht (5-5, G 12, Abbotsford-MEI), Rachel Loukes (5-11, G 11, Prince George-College Heights), Kalie Saari (5-11, G 11, Kamloops-Sa-Hali). Kee Hohlweg (5-7, G 12, Richmond-R.A. McMath).
DOUBLE-A
MAKENA ANDERSON
School: St. Michaels University School (Victoria)
Height: 6-foot
Grade: 11
Position: Wing
The numbers per: 23 points, 37% 3-pt, 81% FT, 7 rebounds.
The skinny: Her influence on the Blue Jags has been felt everywhere. SMUS leading scorer and it’s most versatile player, Anderson has been the picture of efficiency, whether she’s at the free throw line or the three-point arc.
SYDNEY BRADSHAW
School: Langley Christian Lightning
Height: 5-foot-5
Grade: 12
Position: Point guard
The numbers per: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals.
The skinny: The Trinity Western-bound Bradshaw will enter the next stage of her career as the pass-first point guard, yet the Lightning’s compact backcourt sensation is going to be able to do that job even more effectively after bringing more of a scorer’s mentality to the fore.
TAELOR COXFORD
School: Langley Christian Lightning
Height: 6-foot-2
Grade: 12
Position: Forward
The numbers per: 22 points, 8 rebounds.
The skinny: The UBC Thunderbirds recruit, who battled knee injuries throughout her high school career, is really just now coming into her own as an athletic, 6-foot-2 pivot. Her game is truly trending inside-out, making her as tough a match-up as you’re apt to see over the course of this week’s provincial championships.
BERNADET LEDA
School: Notre Dame Jugglers (Vancouver)
Height: 5-foot-7
Grade: 12
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 19 points.
The skinny: A relentless effort and a tenacious attitude towards everything on the court: Those are the strengths Notre Dame’s Leda brings every time she steps on the floor with the Jugglers. The team’s leading scorer and top passer, she will continue to lead with her heart next season when she joins the UFV Cascades.
LAINEY SHELVEY
School: Langley Christian Lightning
Height: 5-foot-9
Grade: 12
Position: Guard/forward
The numbers per: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals.
The skinny: Her greatest strength is her ability to process the game at a rate seemingly ahead of her years. Pair that with all of her substantial skills and it’s the reason she is seemingly always around the ball. It’s a resume that would seem to have her at her best at big events like the B.C.’s, and of course, next season’s introduction to NCAA hoops at Simon Fraser.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Eva Ruse (West Vancouver-Mulgrave Titans), Lucy Xu (West Vancouver-Mulgrave Titans), Mila Urban (Vancouver-York House Tigers), Avery Ratcliffe (Vancouver-York House Tigers), Yasmine Bath (Surrey-Southridge Storm)
SINGLE-A
CAITLIN GINGRAS
School: Vernon Christian Royals
Height: 5-9
Grade: 11
Position: Guard
The numbers per: 32 points, 5 assists, 2.5 steals
The skinny: A constant student of the game, her passion for the sport and her determination to improve in practices has helped bring a high level of consistency to games. Coaches call her ‘all in’ and her energy is infectious.
GRACE PRUIM
School: Credo Christian Kodiaks (Langley)
Height: 6-0
Grade: 11
Position: Forward
The numbers per: 17 points, 15 rebounds, 10 blocks.
The skinny: Pruim brings incredible strength to the post, dominating inside with her blocking ability, and jump shot. A truly a passionate player with a strong work ethic and fantastic drive.
MORIAH JANSEN
School: King’s Christian Thunder (Salmon Arm)
Height: 5-foot-11
Grade: 9
Position: Point guard
The numbers per: 31.5 points, 14 rebounds, 3.5 steals.
The skinny: Beyond her years as a ninth grader, she finishes strong at the rim and with her jump shot. Despite her youth, has helped lead the way to a successful campaign.
ASHLEY MICHIEL
School: Kelowna Christian Knights
Height: 5-11
Grade: 11
Position: Guard/wing
The numbers per: 24.3 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 5 steals.
The skinny: Michiel has the ability to slash to the hoop and hit the outside shot. Her length combined with exceptional ball handling creates a mismatch for almost any defender.
SAVANNAH VANDER KOOI
School: Unity Christian Flames (Chilliwack)
Height: 6-foot-1
Grade: 11
Position: Guard/forward
The numbers per: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals.
The skinny: Vander Kooi is a legitimate five position player for her Flames, able to handle the ball and attack the rim, as well as shoot the three. Loves to dig in on defence.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Morgan Trand (Fernie), Delia Puchalski (Maple Ridge Christian), Sarah Faith-Gill (Vanderhoof—Northside Christian), Natalie Pruim (Langley-Credo Christian), Brooke Michiel (Kelowna Christian)
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