Looking Back: Best of 2019
2019 brought us a lot of outstanding team play, individual performances and fun matchups. A lot transpired from the 2018-2019 high school season to 2019 club season and half of the 2019-2020 high school season. Here is some of the…
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Continue Reading2019 brought us a lot of outstanding team play, individual performances and fun matchups. A lot transpired from the 2018-2019 high school season to 2019 club season and half of the 2019-2020 high school season. Here is some of the “best” from the year of 2019!
Best High School Team:
2018-2019 Prairie Falcons-
The Prairie Falcons finished the season 25-2 on their way to the 3A state championship title. Standout players included 6’3 F Brooke Walling who is now contributing at Fresno State as a freshman. The 6’3 lefty could step out and hit the three, causing real mismatches at the 5 spot. 2020 5’8 PG Cassidy Gardner (Feature image) was a floor leader and big time scorer from the perimeter all year. She is now playing the point at Portland State with her ability to handle the rock and shoot the three at a high rate as she did for Prairie all season. The inside-out punch of these two players made Prairie a tough matchup, but it was the whole of this group that made them state champions. Junior Kendyl Carson was the plug on the wing that could defend the opposing team’s best players, make plays in transition and lead the team in scoring in some games. 6’0 senior F Mallory Williams, 5’10 junior F Haley Reed and 5’4 junior point guard Allison Corral all did their part to contribute with Corral being the main distributor and play caller. The team ran a variety of quality sets with Coach Hala Corral and it allowed them to out-execute many teams. Prairie would go on to defeat Mt. Spokane 37-35 in an ugly state title game, but they made the plays when it mattered most.
Best Summer Performance:
Hailey Van Lith-
The winner of the summer would have to go Cashmere High School’s Hailey Van Lith. The state’s top prospect and Louisville signee had a gold mine of a summer with Team USA. Van Lith won a gold with the U19 team in Fiba’s 3×3 World Cup. She was also a starter on the U19 team that won gold in Bangkok, averaging 9 points and 2 assists. Her improved outside shooting and drive and kick reads have opened up new levels to her game. Her USA Basketball experience has surely helped her all around game and her winning ways world wide give her the honor of Best Summer Performance.
Best Shooter:
This is another ones that is pretty easy. 2019 Mt. Spokane grad Aspyn Adams was the best shooter in the last year and quite frankly, possibly the best shooter Washington has seen to date. The state’s all time leading three point shooter was lights out from distance. Aspyn showed no conscience from three and she also shot 90%+ from the free throw line. She led Mt. Spokane in scoring as the team went 24-2 and placed second in the state for 3A. Aspyn is now lighting up the nets at Loyola Marymount University.
Best Defender:
Current senior Dalayah Daniels has always been consistent in two areas of her game and that is defending and rebounding. The future California Golden Bear has shown great lateral quickness, a quick first and second jump and great hands getting deflections, rebounds and steals in a 6’4 frame. She blocks and alters so many shots and can make up for a lot of her teammate’s mishaps on the defensive end.
Best Pure Scorer:
Talia von Oelhoffen-
Current junior Talia von Oelhoffen has shattered any doubts about scoring 25, 30, 40 points so effortlessly because it is against small school competition. Yes, the competition isn’t as high with some of the smaller schools, but since transferring from Tri Cities Prep to Chiawana (4A) her big scoring outputs have continued. She is seeing double and triple teams and still manages to score over 25 points per game. She is truly capable of scoring 30-40 on any given night. Talia can shoot it from all three levels and hits her free throws at a high rate. Her footwork in crisp and she gets to her spots pretty easily as a result. Many of Talia’s points come easy to her and do not appear to be forced, which is even more impressive. At 5’11, she is able to use her size, shooting ability, IQ and footwork to put up 20 on an off night.
Picture Credit: Sniper Kwam Media