VISAA Playoffs: Beyond the Scoring Column
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Everyone wants to know who scored the most points in each game. Many player of the year awards are decided based on who scored the most points, social media loves scoring highlights and “how many points did you have” is…
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Continue ReadingEveryone wants to know who scored the most points in each game. Many player of the year awards are decided based on who scored the most points, social media loves scoring highlights and “how many points did you have” is often one of the first questions asked. There are many other ways to impact the game besides scoring; the players featured below have shown the ability to score the ball, but have also made impacts on the game with their defense, rebounding, steals/deflections, leadership and ability to change the flow of the game with their energy.
Samantha Smith-2023-St. Gertrude
Consistent effort and play, Samantha has been a reliable point guard for St. Gertrude all season. She continued to elevate her game and had a strong performance against Paul VI to end the season. She does an outstanding job taking care of the basketball, controlling the flow of the game and getting the ball where it needs to go. She is the team’s best perimeter defender and owns the challenge of guarding the best player on the court. She is the perfect example of heart over height.
Zaria Gaskins Zaria Gaskins 5'5" | PG Christ Chapel Academy | 2025 State VA -2025-Christ Chapel
Lefty PG handles the pressure for young Christ Chapel team. Plays hard on both sides of the ball. She is quick, aggressive and looks to push the ball in transition. She has good handles, showcased nice crossover and spin move to split defenders in full court press. Used nice eurostep to get around taller defenders and finish in the paint. Just a freshman, she was the vocal leader for her team. She was encouraging, directing the offense and when she got in early foul trouble in the championship game she was vocal and supportive of her teammates while on the bench.
Keyarah Rainey Keyarah Rainey 5'5" | CG Osbourn Park HS | 2025 State VA -2026-Christ Chapel
Only in the 8th grade, starts for Christ Chapel and has an aggressive scorer’s mindset. Athletic, was getting into the paint whenever she wanted. She has an explosive first step and nice hesitation, crossover that got her past first line of defense. With continued training she will learn to finish consistently and develop a one/two dribble pull up to go along with her ability to get to the rim. Defensively, she was hard to beat off the dribble and read passing lanes for steals and also had a couple blocks in the paint. Keyarah is talented and has tons of potential. Look forward to watching her grow over the next few years.
Delaney Poindexter-2025-Covenant School
Delaney is a high energy player who plays hard the entire game. She has a good foundation of skills on both ends of court. She has quick feet defensively and is quick to loose balls. The Covenant School has a lot of young players, she is a good leader and has great chemistry with her teammates. She reads the open areas on the court and gets herself in good scoring position. She works the middle of a zone with hard cuts and a quick step back to get her shot off over taller defenders.
Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA -2024-Paul VI
Extremely athletic post player, bouncy and active on both ends of the ball. She comes in off the bench for a talented Paul VI team. She brings immediate energy and rebounding when she comes in the game. Good size at 6’1 and showed her ability to protect the paint, can guard several positions on the floor and runs rim to rim. Finished through contact and cleaned up around the basket. Look forward to seeing how far her game expands with the development of a consistent jump shot.
Louis Volker Louis Volker 6'0" | SF Paul VI | 2023 State VA -2023-Paul VI
Volker is the type of player that can fit into any system. She is a leader, focused, dependable and efficient. She is a workhorse who plays hard on both ends of the floor. Led her team with 14pts and 9 rebounds in championship game. Maintains good defensive position in the post and can guard the wing. Works the high/low post well getting good positioning and rarely misses in the paint. I have watched this young lady play several times this season and continue to be impressed with her ability to impact all facets of the game.
Riley Hamburger Riley Hamburger 6'0" | SG Paul VI | 2025 State VA -2025-Paul VI
Riley has great size and athleticism on the wing. She can score inside of out, able to create her own shot and can shoot from the 3. She is a very good rebounder, was active on offensive and defensive boards. Her length and agility allows her to guard any position on the court. She has tremendous upside and I look forward to seeing her on the AAU scene.
This was my third time watching Naomi this season, each time I see her she is better than the last. She has good size on the wing and is the most athletic on her team. She runs the floor hard, is active rebounding and chases down loose balls. She has expanded scoring out to the 3pt line and can finish at the basket. She can push the ball in transition off the dribble or pass ahead. She is able to guard positions 1-4, her length causes disruptions on the perimeter and she does a good job of applying defensive pressure without excessive fouling.