Young Doves Flying High Into The 4A Final Four
The Western Doves recently eliminated two solid teams from playoff contention in Paint Branch and Howard High on their way to winning the 4A North regional championship. The Doves feature four underclassmen guards who have guided the team in Vashae…
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Continue ReadingThe Western Doves recently eliminated two solid teams from playoff contention in Paint Branch and Howard High on their way to winning the 4A North regional championship. The Doves feature four underclassmen guards who have guided the team in Vashae Rideout, Sanaya Gray, Gabby Johnson and Ny’ceara Pryor.
The young Doves were able to thrash two highly seeded teams 62-45 and 66-43 by overwhelming them with defensive speed and balanced scoring. Western was inconsistent at times during the season and some injuries slowed them down, but coach Tasha Townsend has them firing on all cylinders as they prepare for the final four. With four young players contributing heavily Western is serving notice that they will be hard to deal with for the next few seasons. Their first big test will be a tough an athletic C.H. Flowers team at Towson University. Here is a closer look at the young core…
Vashae Rideout, 2021, 5’6″ Guard
Vashae is aggressive offensively and led the team in scoring with a 13.8 points per game average. She shot 54% from the field 50% from 3 point range. She gets after it defensively and hits the boards as well, averaging over six per game. Check her out this summer with the Fairfax Stars.
Sanaya Gray, 2021, 5’5″, Guard
Sanaya is a smooth operator on offense. She has a good handle and can finish in traffic with both hands. She shoots 44% from distance and leads the team with 4 assists per game. She also scored 10.5 points per game. You can follow her with the Maryland Lady Tigers this summer.
Gabby “Showtime” Johnson, 2022, 5’6″ Guard
If you like players who add flair to the game Gabby is your girl. Spin moves, no look passes and Euro steps are all in her bag, but there is substance as well. She normally comes off the bench and she averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2.4 steals. She is a fearless player who is willing to challenge bigger opponents and will mix it up on defense. She plays summer ball with Power Move on the new Under Armour circuit.
Ny’ceara Pryor, 2022, 5’1″ Point Guard
She is known in the DMV as “Lil Mama” and is having a freshman of the year type season. The diminutive speedster leads the team in rebounds at 7 per game and is most feared on defense. She is disruptive at the point of attack on ball handlers and she is excellent in the passing lanes, averaging 3.4 steals per contest. She is second on the team in scoring at 12.9 per game and dishes out 3 assists a game. She is pound for pound one of the toughest players in the area and also one of the smartest. You can see her this summer on the Under Armour circuit with Power Move as well.