Arizona 4A Returning Assists Per Game Leaders

With every day that passes, we are getting closer to the tip-off of the 2021-2022 High School Girls Basketball season in Arizona! Until then, the "Top Returning" series will have to do... This article is going to cover the ’Top Returning Assists Per Game Leaders’ from last year in the 4A Class of the Arizona Interscholastic Association. Do you think these will be some of the names we will see again this season or will some players come out and shock us all? <strong>DeeDee Esteen - Senior - Buckeye HS - 5.2 APG </strong> Starting us off for the top returning assist per game leader in the AIA 4A division from last season is DeeDee Esteen with <strong>5.2 APG. </strong>She is a captain for the Buckeye Lady Hawks as well as a leader on and off of the court. DeeDee averaged 10.8 points per game throughout her junior year, playing in all 18 games. She was able to finish two games with a double-double in points and rebounds showing her talents extend far beyond just sharing the basketball. The versatility in her game makes it tough on defenders to stop her, whether it is off of the dribble or a silky pass. Extremely unselfish basketball player. <strong>Nakyah Williams - Sophomore - Paradise Honors HS - 5.0 APG </strong> Williams makes the leaderboard during her FRESHMAN year averaging only .2 less than the leader, Esteen. Nakyah Williams averaged <strong>5.0 assists per game</strong> last season for the Paradise Honors Lady Panthers for a total of 80 assists in her first year. This scrappy, five-foot-two, point guard is going to be one to watch in this division as she continues to get older and improve her skill set. She averaged 14.3 points per game and despite not always having the size advantage, Williams is not afraid to drive and get to the hole. Nakyah was awarded the MaxPreps Player of the Game award nine different times throughout the 2020-2021 basketball season. The future is bright for this youngster! <strong>Tavia Stemmons - Senior - Greenway HS - 4.2 APG </strong> After only playing in 10 games this season for the Greenway Lady Demons, Tavia Stemmons makes the third spot in returning assists per game leaders from last year. She averaged <strong>4.2 APG </strong>for a total of 42 assists as a junior. Stemmons had a stand-out game early in February against Tempe High School finishing with a double-double, (18 points, 15 rebounds). She also averaged a solid 11.0 points per game, along with 6.6 rebounds per game. Tavia is an all-around good basketball player that excels on the court. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137280" first="Sasha" last="Daniel"] - Senior - Seton Catholic HS - 3.9 APG </strong> 2020-2021 AIA 4A State Champ, [player_tooltip player_id="137280" first="Sasha" last="Daniel"] averaged <strong>3.9 assists per game</strong> during their winning season helping push her and her teammates through the finish line. With a total of 82 for the year, Daniel was one of the top performers in the division when it came to sharing the basketball. It is not always about hitting the long three-ball or being the one to get to the free-throw line. I believe that a solid, unselfish pass that leads to points on the scoreboard is just as impressive as being the one who scores. This is the type of game that I see in Sasha. I am looking forward to seeing how she shows out during her final high school basketball season. <strong>Mykaela Daniels - Senior - Peoria HS - 3.8 APG </strong> Mykaela Daniels averaged <strong>3.8 assists per game</strong> throughout the 2020-2021 basketball season for a total of 64 assists on the year. Making sure to highlight the top leaders in PASSING is something that I really like to focus on because it is a part of this game that can easily go unnoticed. Daniels and all of the other players mentioned in this article went out of their way to share the ball with their teammates, who they trusted as much as themselves to score the ball. That to me is the most beautiful thing about sports. Mykaela may have not been the highest scorer on her team but her actions did not go unseen. Being a TEAM player will always look better to coaches and scouts than the ones who score every single point. <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Honorable Mentions </strong></span></p> <strong>Sierra Badger - Senior - Poston Butte HS - 3.7 APG </strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137284" first="Tianna" last="Reeder"] - Senior - Estrella Foothills HS - 3.6 APG </strong>