Sensational Arizona Sophomores in the Class of 2025
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INTRODUCTION: Arizona girls basketball boasts many outstanding sophomores who have come into their own. Two of the top five come from the same high school – Salpointe Catholic in Tucson: Taliyah Henderson Taliyah Henderson 6'1" | SF Salpointe Catholic |…
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Continue ReadingINTRODUCTION: Arizona girls basketball boasts many outstanding sophomores who have come into their own. Two of the top five come from the same high school – Salpointe Catholic in Tucson: Taliyah Henderson Taliyah Henderson 6'1" | SF Salpointe Catholic | 2025 State AZ and Hannah Williams Hannah Williams 6'1" | PF Salpointe Catholic | 2025 State AZ . Here’s a profile on each one.
Taliyah Henderson Taliyah Henderson 6'1" | SF Salpointe Catholic | 2025 State AZ – is a 6-1 sophomore combination guard for Salpointe Catholic High School. She also plays for her club team, AZ Supreme. She has a 4.1 GPA and also competes on the track and field team. She was a state champion as a freshman in the 800-meter run and runner-up in the 400-meter run. She is ranked #57 among all players in the state of Arizona for the class of 2025. Born in Vancouver, she will compete in the tryouts later in March for the Canadian National Team. A dual citizen of both the US and Canada, Taliyah averaged 18.9 points a game and 7.7 rebounds for a team that advanced to the quarterfinals in the newly created Open Division in the state playoffs.
EVALUATION: Being heavily recruited as a sophomore, Taliyah is an outstanding talent that can play any position on the floor. She is also a tremendous track and field athlete, being a state champion as a freshman in the 800 meters. She averaged nearly 19 points and eight rebounds, having increased her numbers from her freshman year. The Lancers have a deep, veteran team and should make a strong run in the AIA state playoffs in 2024.
Hannah Williams Hannah Williams 6'1" | PF Salpointe Catholic | 2025 State AZ – is a 6-1 sophomore power forward for Salpointe Catholic High School. She also plays for her club team, AZ Supreme. She averaged 8.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds last season. As a freshman, those numbers were 5.9 and 5.4, respectively. Last year the Lancers won their first State Championship with a 65-48 win over Flagstaff. Hannah played extensively last spring and summer with AZ Supreme. She made second team, All-Region as a sophomore. One scout commented on her game: “As a super freshman, she stepped up to help the Lancers defeat Seton Catholic in a tournament game. ” Prep Girls Hoops ranks Hannah as the second-best player in the class of 2025 (behind her teammate, Taliyah Henderson Taliyah Henderson 6'1" | SF Salpointe Catholic | 2025 State AZ ). Another scout commented: “She ‘is a solid presence who runs the floor well and has great inside shooting ability. She is an incredible inside-the-paint scoring threat and is a big-time prospect.”
EVALUATION: Hannah is a much improved offensive and defensive player and gives Salpointe Catholic a major force in the paint. She helped lead the Lancers to their first State Championship as a freshman. She also had a double-double in another playoff game in 2022. Now going into her junior year, Hannah should have two productive seasons before she graduates.
Michaela Fairwell Michaela Fairwell 5'10" | SG Dutch Fork | 2025 State SC – is a 5-9 sophomore shooting guard who plays for Desert Vista High School and is ranked as the number one player at her position in the class of 2025. She also plays for Arizona Elite 16Y. The Lady Thunder were the 2023 Girls Open Division State Champions. One scout had this to say about her game: “She is a long guard that can shoot from beyond the three-point line. She will get to the rim with a nice handle and will drive and then kick the ball out to a teammate. She uses her long arms and is active in both rebounding and blocking shots.” Another scout commented: “She is fast and physical on both offense and defense. She is also fearless and has never seen a moment too big for her. She is a super versatile athlete and has made an impact on multiple phases of the game. She has good ball-handling skills and takes big, long strides on her way to the rim. On defense, she shows good lateral quickness and her length to give the opposing team constant problems.”
EVALUATION: Michaela is just starting to mature physically which means her best days of basketball should still be in front of her. As a sophomore, she averaged 9 points a game and led the Lady Thunder to the 2023 Girls Open State Championship. She has developed strong ball-handling skills and is a tireless defender. She is clearly one of the top West Coast prospects for the class of 2025.
Sidney Anderson Sidney Anderson 5'10" | CG Salpointe Catholic | 2025 State AZ – is a 5-10 sophomore combination guard for Ironwood Ridge High school and is currently the second-ranked player at her position for the class of 2025. She is also a member of the Ironwood Ridge softball team. She averaged 20.3 points per game this past season along with 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 steals. In her first two years on the varsity, Sidney was awarded Player of the Game honors by Max Preps a total of 22 different times. She was selected on the third team All-Southern Arizona Girls Basketball All-Stars by AllSports Tucson. In one game she had 12 steals to go along with 23 points, four rebounds, and seven assists in a Nighthawks win over Buena, 62-41. During the holiday season, she was the MVP of the Bullhead City Holiday Shootout averaging 25 points per game as Ironwood Ridge finished 3-0.
EVALUATION: Sidney is an outstanding all-around player, even as a sophomore. This past season she averaged over 20 points per game and in one contest had 12 steals. Her value to the Nighthawks is illustrated by her 22-time selections as Player of the Game during her freshman and sophomore seasons. She should have tremendous seasons as both a junior and senior at Ironwood Ridge.
Clara-Mae Hrouch Clara-Mae Hrouch 5'7" | PG Catalina Foothills | 2025 State AZ – is a 5-7 sophomore point guard who plays for Catalina Foothills High School as well as her club team, AZ Supreme Blue. The Falcons lost to Canyon View in this past year’s AIA State Tournament, 72-62. This season she averaged 14.0 points per game, 4.7 assists, and 3.1 steals. As a freshman, Clara-Mae averaged 13.8 points per game. She also has a 4.0 GPA. She was selected 5A All-Region first team and the 5A Defensive Player of the Year.
EVALUATION: Clara-Mae came into her own as a sophomore, helping lead the Lady Falcons to the state semifinals. She is an outstanding passer and scorer, averaging 14 points per game to go along with 4.7 assists per game. She was voted Division 5A Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 3.1 steals per game. Clara-Mae has also become a team leader both on and off the court and should be ready for an outstanding junior season.