UConn Leads All Schools with Three Commits on the Watch List
ATLANTA (November 15, 2022) – The watch list for the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year was announced today by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, with the nation’s marquee players leading the way. Sidwell Friends School has the opportunity to claim back-to-back honorees with top prospect Jayden Donovan, after Kiki Rice won the award a season ago.
“This group of young women is as talented as we have ever seen,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We are excited to watch them compete this season and see their progression and development throughout the 2022-23 season.”
UConn leads all schools with three commits on the watch list, and experience dominates the list with 38 seniors represented. Sophomores Aaliyah Chavez, Jasmine Davidson and ZaKiyah Johnson are the only underclassmen on the list.
“Jersey Mike’s believes in the importance of high school sports,” said Jeff Hemschoot, vice president of marketing, Jersey Mike’s. “We are thrilled to be a part of another great year of girls high school basketball and look forward to honoring a deserving athlete at the end of the season.”
The five finalists will be announced in February and the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy Girls honor will be awarded in March 2023.
2023 Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year Watch List
| FULL NAME | CLASS | POS | HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | COMMITTED TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunaja Agara | SR | G | Minnetonka, MN | Hopkins High School | Stanford |
| Kamorea Arnold | SR | PG | Germantown, WI | Germantown High School | UConn |
| Carys Baker | SR | F | Windsor, CT | Loomis Chaffee School | Virginia Tech |
| Sofia Bell | SR | W | Portland, OR | Jesuit High School | Oregon |
| Madison Booker | SR | W | Ridgeland, MS | Germantown High School | Texas |
| Zoe Brooks | SR | G | Plainfield, NJ | Saint John Vianney High | NC State |
| Jaloni Cambridge | JR | PG | Nashville, TN | The Ensworth School | |
| Justice Carlton | JR | F | Katy, TX | Seven Lakes High School | |
| Aaliyah Chavez | SO | PG | Lubbock, TX | Monterey High School | |
| Essence Cody | SR | P | Valdosta, GA | Valdosta High School | Alabama |
| Diana Collins | SR | PG | Lilburn, GA | Brookwood High School | Ohio State |
| Breya Cunningham | SR | P | Chula Vista, CA | La Jolla Country Day School | Arizona |
| Jasmine Davidson | SO | W | Clackamas, OR | Clackamas High School | |
| Aalyah Del Rosario | SR | P | Nashville, TN | The Webb School | LSU |
| Jadyn Donovan | SR | G | Washington, DC | Sidwell Friends School | Duke |
| Joyce Edwards | JR | F | Camden, SC | Camden High School | |
| Milaysia Fulwiley | SR | PG | Columbia, SC | W.J. Keenan High School | |
| Hannah Hidalgo | SR | PG | Haddonfield, NJ | Paul VI High School | |
| Sahnya Jah | SR | W | Montverde, FL | Montverde Academy | South Carolina |
| Kymora Johnson | SR | G | Charlottesville, VA | Saint Anne's-Belfield School | Virginia |
| Tessa Johnson | SR | G | Albertville, MN | Saint Michael Albertville High | South Carolina |
| ZaKiyah Johnson | SO | G | Shelbyville, KY | Sacred Heart Academy | |
| Ari Long | SR | PG | Moreno Valley, CA | Valley View High School | Washington |
| Amanda Muse | SR | P | Brentwood, CA | Heritage High School | UCLA |
| Riley Nelson | SR | W | Clarksburg, MD | Bullis School | Maryland |
| Mackenzie Nelson | SR | PG | Greenwich, CT | St. Luke's School | Virginia Tech |
| S'mya Nichols | SR | W | Overland Park, KS | Shawnee Mission West High School | Kansas |
| Courtney Ogden | SR | W | Atlanta, GA | Westminster School | Stanford |
| Olivia Olson | JR | PG | Saint Louis Park, MN | Benilde Saint Margaret High | Michigan |
| Britt Prince | JR | PG | Elkhorn, NE | Elkhorn North High School | |
| Cassandre Prosper | SR | F | Rosemere, Quebec, CAN | Cairine Wilson Secondary School | |
| Laila Reynolds | SR | G | Brandywine, MD | Shabach Christian Academy | |
| Amiyah Reynolds | SR | G | Washington, IN | Washington High School | Maryland |
| Emma Risch | SR | G | Melbourne, FL | Palm Bay Magnet | Notre Dame |
| Qadence Samuels | SR | F | Forestville, MD | Bishop McNamara High School | UConn |
| Taliah Scott | SR | G | Orange Park, FL | Saint John's Country Day School | Arkansas |
| Sayvia Sellers | SR | PG | Anchorage, AK | Anchorage Christian Schools | Washington |
| Ashlynn Shade | SR | G | Noblesville, IN | La Lumiere School | UConn |
| Sarah Strong | JR | F | Fuquay-Varina, NC | Grace Academy NC | |
| Adhel Tac | JR | P | Grand Prairie, TX | South Grand Prairie High School | |
| Delaney Thomas | SR | F | Washington, DC | St. John's College High School | Duke |
| Blanca Thomas | JR | P | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte Catholic High School | |
| Ciera Toomey | SR | P | Dunmore, PA | Dunmore High School | North Carolina |
| Letycia Vasconcelos | SR | P | Montverde, FL | Montverde Academy | Baylor |
| Sammie Wagner | SR | W | San Antonio, TX | Ronald Reagan High School | Oregon |
| Judea Watkins | SR | G | Los Angeles, CA | Sierra Canyon High School | |
| Mikaylah Williams | SR | G | Bossier City, LA | Parkway High School | LSU |
| Jada Williams | SR | PG | La Jolla, CA | La Jolla Country Day School | Arizona |
| Sahara Williams | SR | W | Waterloo, IA | West High School | Oklahoma |
| Allie Ziebell | JR | G | Neenah, WI | Neenah High School |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
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Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,300 locations open and under development nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflective in its mission statement “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
706-816-6022