Group 1 Sectional Championships: Impact Players

With the State Tournament in full swing, we take a moment to look at players who understand the assignment and deliver in the biggest moments, when the lights shine their brightest… and in high school basketball, it doesn't get any bigger and brighter than surviving and advancing in the playoffs! These are players who make major contributions, be it by filling up a stat sheet or by intangible attributes crucial to their team's success. Whether it's senior leadership and experience, scrappy defense and diving for loose balls, excellent perimeter play, solid mental toughness or just sheer athleticism, these young ladies can all swing the game in their team's favor and take home the title!   <h2>South Jersey: #1 Woodstown v #2 Wildwood</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='414352' first='Talia' last='Battavio'] - Woodstown (2025)   Talia's ability to comfortably knock down the 3 gives her team an added layer of offensive firepower. Couple her scoring prowess with her high pressure defense and it's a recipe for disaster for the opponent. She plays the game with high intensity and a sense of urgency.   [player_tooltip player_id='481520' first='Evee' last='Spencer'] - Woodstown (2023)   With Evee lurking under the rim, perimeter shooters get an extra boost of confidence letting their shots fly because they know if they miss, Evee is there to clean it up. She acts as a security blanket for Woodstown both offensively and defensively.   [player_tooltip player_id='525557' first='Megan' last='Donelson'] - Woodstown (2025)   Woodstown's leader in points and steals this season, Megan has emerged as a do-it-all type of player for the Wolverines. Her agility allows her to comfortable play multiple positions on the court. Her ball-denial disrupts ball movement, timing and sequencing, and is second to none.   [player_tooltip player_id='414340' first='Macie' last='McCracken'] - Wildwood (2025)   With almost 99 3-pointers made so far this season, Macie is one player you do not want to leave open from 3. When she hits one, you can be sure multiple more will follow. She has unlimited range, great handles & stellar defense, as she leads her team in steals. A complete player.   [player_tooltip player_id='742298' first='Kaliah' last='Sumlin'] - Wildwood (2024)   Her aggressive and relentless defense frustrates the opponent and forces many turnovers. She dives, slides and scraps for loose balls and never gives up on the play. She has also added efficient transition scoring to her repertoire, which makes her a dangerous player on both ends of the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='488644' first='Sinaia' last='Hills'] - Wildwood (2024)   She is a strong, agile post player who can use crafty footwork inside to score and sheer strength and good court positioning to pull down the boards. She is also very good in transition defense at extinguishing fast breaks. Ultimately, she is the x-factor for this Warriors squad.   <h2>Central Jersey: #1 Shore v #2 Middlesex</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='155445' first='Rylee' last='Drahos'] - Shore (2023)   A dynamic basketball player with a high basketball IQ, Rylee can play all five positions on the court if called upon. Her veteran leadership has a necessary component to Shore's monumental success this season. Rylee creates her own shot very well and if left open from anywhere on the court, she will make the defense pay.   [player_tooltip player_id='414240' first='Reese' last='Fiore'] - Shore (2025)   Night in and night out, Reese is tasked with guarding the opposing team's best players.... and for good reason. Her defensive intensity and relentless pursuit of the basketball frustrates and flusters her opponents. She comes up with game-changing stops in crunch time.   Antonette Russo - Shore (2024)   Antonette's excellent court vision allows her to direct traffic and execute plays. For a guard, she possesses a nice shot-blocking ability. Her rim protection and scrappy play is another piece to Shore's excellent defensive puzzle.   [player_tooltip player_id='482785' first='Neysa' last='Aguilar'] - Middlesex (2023)   A terrific rebounding guard, Neysa always seems to find where the ball is going to drop off the rim, leap over defenders and snatch the rebound. Offensively, she can pose a threat from anywhere. She is a super speedy player with nice use of the pick and roll, a great hesitation game and hot hands from 3.   [player_tooltip player_id='414402' first='Jessica' last='Devine'] - Middlesex (2025)   If your handles aren't elite, Jessica is taking the ball from you and converting stellar defense into aggressive fast break transition basketball. Her ability to read and disrupt the passing lanes with quick reflexes for deflections and steals is the nucleus of this team's defensive prowess.   Lexi Demeter - Middlesex (2025)   Lexi's ability to weave her way through traffic, squeeze into the lane and get to the rim makes her a tough player to handle. She's quick and has no problem beating her defender off the dribble. Her perimeter defense is just as impressive as her offense.   <h2>North Jersey Section 2: #1 University v #2 Glen Ridge</h2>   Aaliyah Tillman - University (2023)   Don't let her 5'9" frame fool you... Aaliyah is one of University's best bigs. She is dynamic under the rim, where she crashes the boards and is superior on both the weak-side and strong-side. She commands the lane well and does a phenomenal job driving into the paint, creating space to score.   [player_tooltip player_id='404234' first='Destiny' last='Bynum-Johnson'] - University (2023)   Destiny plays with tenacity and grit each and every game, whether it's an exhibition or a championship. She attacks the lane with intensity and determination and shoots the ball from the perimeter with comfort and confidence. She has a next-level skill-set in every aspect of her game. She is as stellar and efficient on offense and she is on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='873268' first='Ki-Lin' last='Thomas'] - University (2025)   Controlled aggression and immaculate execution. These are two components of Ki-Lin's dynamic all-around game. She plays physical basketball, but her awareness and positioning on the court makes for few fouls and turnovers. As good as she already is, Ki-Lin is always looking to improve... which is a scary sight for opposing teams.   [player_tooltip player_id='601520' first='Allison' last='Snyder'] - Glen Ridge (2026)   Freshmen that impact the game from day one are far and few between. [player_tooltip player_id='601520' first='Allison' last='Snyder'] is one of those freshmen. She plays with a sense of urgency on both end of the court. Her proactive approach to basketball makes her an integral part of this team's success. She plays smart basketball, makes the most of her minutes, has few turnovers and few fouls against her. High basketball IQ!   [player_tooltip player_id='601519' first='Annabel' last='Koss-Defrank'] - Glen Ridge (2026)   Annabel is another one of Glen Ridge's dynamic freshmen. Her instincts are the driving force behind her stellar basketball play on the offensive and defensive ends. If there's any indication that she can do it all, her triple-double in the semifinals against Brearley serves as proof of her balanced game.   [player_tooltip player_id='488733' first='Savannah' last='Steele'] - Glen Ridge (2024)   Whatever you do, do not leave Savannah open on the perimeter! She has nice range and can get hot quickly! Defensively, she uses her length to deflect shots and deflate the shooter's confidence. This young squad relies on her for leadership and motivation, especially when the game gets tough and the score gets close.   <h2>North Jersey Section 1: #3 Park Ridge v #5 Boonton</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='414430' first='Allie' last='Shenloogian'] - Park Ridge (2025)   Aggressive driving layups? Check. Automatic mid-range game? Check. 3-point shooting? Check. Allie marks off just about every box in her offensive arsenal. Defensively, she is equally as impressive. The sophomore sensation has size and wingspan down on the block and protects the rim well. Her timing is a crucial part of her defense and at 4 steals per game, she knows how to disrupt passes and pick pockets.   [player_tooltip player_id='326666' first='Abigail' last='McManus'] - Park Ridge (2024)   One of Park Ridge's leaders, Abigail can do just about everything. She has excellent footwork, takes high percentage shots from the field, initiates contact on the drive and finishes well. On defense, she is always on the balls of her feet scanning the floor and anticipating the next pass for a steal.   [player_tooltip player_id='601409' first='Annika' last='Kivisikk'] - Park Ridge (2026)   Annika has the mindset that every all that bounces off the rim is hers for the taking. She is stellar snatching down boards on both the offensive and defensive glass. She is a rim protector in every sense of the word, which makes driving inside against her can be an arduous task.   [player_tooltip player_id='404226' first='Amanda' last='Tuohy'] - Boonton (2023)   Good judgement comes from experience, and Amanda has that, and then some! She is this team's fearless leader. She can single-handedly take over a game and give her team a spark that helps ignite offensive firepower as well as defensive efficiency.   Jackie Cifelli - Boonton (2023)   Both an x-factor and an impact player, Jackie provides her team with quality minutes. Her smart court positioning translates to a steady rebounding game. She contributes a little bit of everything and can pose a challenge for the defense to try and figure out.   [player_tooltip player_id='483098' first='Jaden' last='Visioli'] - Boonton (2023)   Jaden and Amanda feed off each other's energy well, and when one gets hot from 3, so does the other. Jaden can bury the opponent from the perimeter and deflate her defender's confidence in the process. She is very good at exposing gaps and flaws in the defense.

With the State Tournament in full swing, we take a moment to look at players who understand the assignment and deliver in the biggest moments, when the lights shine their brightest… and in high school basketball, it doesn't get any bigger and brighter than surviving and advancing in the playoffs! These are players who make major contributions, be it by filling up a stat sheet or by intangible attributes crucial to their team's success. Whether it's senior leadership and experience, scrappy defense and diving for loose balls, excellent perimeter play, solid mental toughness or just sheer athleticism, these young ladies can all swing the game in their team's favor and take home the title!