Senior Defensive Specialists for 2023

The class of 2023 has many dedicated defensive specialists. Here's a profile on five of them.     [player_tooltip player_id='115507' first='SIENNA' last='CHERWINSKI'] - is a 5-7 senior point guard for both Xavier Prep and her club team, Nike Southwest Premier 17U. Now committed to Sonoma State University, she plays for her Head Coach Jennifer Gillom. One scout said: "Sienna is an elite shooter who uses screens and is very efficient in moving without the ball. She improved her footwork and ability to pivot at the NBA Academy Camp in Atlanta. Another scout talked about her play in the Summer Swoops Championships held in Orange County last summer. "She is an aggressive guard that can heat up quickly. She can also hit the three, finish in the paint and create for others. She also plays relentless defense. Her shot accuracy, court vision, and leadership make her one of the top prospects in Arizona." She also has great anticipation on defense which leads to steals and deflections. Xavier Prep won the 6A State title last winter and Sienna was named to the First Team, All-Region squad.   EVALUATION: Sienna is an outstanding two-way player. She is a deadly shooter from both the perimeter and beyond the three-point arc. She also leads her team in both assists and steals. But it is at the defensive end of the floor where she is most valuable. She is a tireless defender of her opponent's moves which leads to both deflections and steals. She recently committed to Sonoma State University.     [player_tooltip player_id='261416' first='SAGE' last='BEGAY'] - is a 5-8 senior shooting guard who plays for Flagstaff High School and her club team, Nike Southwest Premier 17U. She is predicted to be Third Team, All-State for the 2022-2023 season. Her scoring has increased through each of her three varsity seasons. One scout talked about Sage's play: "She is versatile enough to play both guard positions and she can fill it up from mid-range as well as three-point range. The Flagstaff Eagles lost in the championship game last winter to Salpointe Catholic High School. They are looking for a return trip and Sage will help them get there." Another scout had this to say: "She has a great defensive presence. She was All-Conference First Team last season. In her first three years as a starter, she played in a total of 61 games and averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.1 steals. She has improved her scoring average each year.   EVALUATION: Sage has improved her all-around game each year and her senior year should be no different. She is a tremendous offensive player who makes all of her teammates better. But it is at the defensive end of the floor where she is exceptional. She is a gritty defender who always gives 100% effort at both ends of the court.     [player_tooltip player_id='549384' first='NARA' last='KAIBARA'] - is a senior 5-5 combination guard who plays for Phoenix Country Day and the Arizona Pride, her club team. Over her first three years as a Lady Eagle, Nara played in 72 games, averaging 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Her scoring average has gone from 7.1 as a freshman to 14.5 as a sophomore to 18.7 as a junior. She has 922 points in three varsity seasons. PCC is off to an 11-2 start this season through late December. One scout commented on Nara's game: "She is electric when she has the ball in her hands. Her ability to change direction on a dime makes her so difficult to defend." She has just become the fourth player in school history to score over 1,000 points. The Lady Eagles won the December Desert Classic Tournament and she was a member of the All-Tournament team. Another scout had this to say: "She is able to slither through defenders and finish at the rim with ease. She is also a capable shooter from deep. Defensively, Nara is excellent at jumping into passing lanes and getting steals. Look for her to have a breakout senior season for the Lady Eagles." PCC was last season's 6A State Champions. Her younger sister, Alla, is also on the team.   EVALUATION: Nara is an outstanding offensive player, both as a shooter and a distributor. Her ability to change direction has helped her game both offensively and defensively. As a defender, her quick hands and quick feet, along with great anticipation, have resulted in many steals and opponent turnovers.     [player_tooltip player_id='138093' first='AUTUMN' last='RODRIGUEZ'] - is a 5-7 senior shooting guard for both Chandler High School and Arizona Elite, her club team. To date, she is averaging 6.0 points per game. For her career, a total of 60 games over three varsity seasons, she averaged 7.2 points per game and 3.4 rebounds. A scout commented on her performance: "Chandler went up against a very strong Xavier Prep team in their last game of the 2022 season but were led by Autumn with 14 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal. In her career, she was named Player of the Game by Max Preps a total of eight different times (2019-2022). One of the games was against Basha last February where she had 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals.   EVALUATION: Autumn has improved her overall game each year of her high school career. The fact that she was selected as Player of the Game a total of eight times in her career, speaks for itself. She is also a vocal leader for the team and defensively, her presence makes all of her teammates better. She is an elite defender and she should continue her career at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='550691' first='CAYLIE' last='HOLYFIELD'] - is a 5-9 senior shooting guard who plays for Cibola High School in Yuma. She played in 26 games as a junior, averaging 7 points and 7 rebounds per game. She plays for the Lady Raiders Head Coach Anthony Gerg. A scout talked about Caylie's game: "She is an exceptional athlete on a very tough Cibola squad. She can shoot it from three as well as blow by defenders for easy baskets in the paint. She can also defend at a very high level, often guarding the opposing team's best player. Look for her to play a role in the success of a very talented Cibola team. As a junior, Caylie was selected for the All-Region second team.   EVALUATION: Caylie is a very talented senior guard for Cibola High School who hustles on every play whether it be offensively or defensively. She is an outstanding scorer and driver as well as an elite defender. She will often guard her opponent's best player. The Lady Raiders should have an outstanding team this season and make a deep run in the playoffs.                                 <figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt="" /></figure>

The class of 2023 has many dedicated defensive specialists. Here's a profile on five of them.