2023-24 Way-Too-Early Mary O Possibilities

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Where the Mary Ostrowski Award possibilities set in a rather unknown position this time one year ago, with Cabell Midland's Jayda Allie being the only established player, this year that scenario is not the case. Five girls and a handful of other players add up to make the early Mary O list look quite different than one year ago. The five top players have solidified their reputations as ones to watch over the last two, three or four years and all of them sit firmly in the race at this point in the summer and beyond: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='342221' first='Alexis' last='Bordas'], Wheeling Park, SG, 5-8, Jr.</strong> - If required to put a number on the odds of a Bordas' repeat, you would likely but them at high. Very high. Even before the season begins, the spotlight shines on her from multiple media groups and her followers will in turn likely grow as the season goes on. Sites like this one and wvmetronews.com along with The Wheeling Intelligencer newspaper will write feature stories on her quest for a repeat and her goals for the upcoming season. Moreover, her team and her are on a quest to become the latest group to rebound from a loss in the state championship game the previous year by winning the title the following year. If that attention isn't enough, she owns a shot that has only gotten better over the summer and she's developed the killer instinct she was missing as a freshman. Better yet, she can flip the switch at any point. This makes her even more dangerous as she looks to repeat. Perhaps the best part for her is she plays a tough defense, meaning she will have night where she may not score 25 points but she'll stuff the stat sheet in other ways and do the small things to make sure Park wins basketball games. Don't be surprised if this young lady is crowned the best player in the state when everything is said and done come March. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":425702,"width":238,"height":174,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/05/Lily-Jordan-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-425702" width="238" height="174" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='342235' first='Lily' last='Jordan'], Morgantown, W, 6-0, Sr. </strong>- [player_tooltip player_id='342235' first='Lily' last='Jordan'] presents a challenge to [player_tooltip player_id='342221' first='Alexis' last='Bordas']' repeat attempt. A strong challenge. More than anything, she receives the opportunity to show the entire state her leadership skills. The losses of Mia Henkins and Lindsey Bechtel leave a huge hole open in the Mohigan's senior leadership. And it will be up to [player_tooltip player_id='342214' first='Sofia' last='Wassick'] and Jordan to fill those gaps and lead the Mohigans back to Charleston. Her numbers may not be the biggest of flashiest, especially given the fact that Sadaya Prior returns to the team after a year at Fairmont Senior. Regardless, Jordan showed enough in steadily guiding the Mohigans through a rough second half of the state title game, that head coach Doug Goodwin likely has a few ideas in mind about how to let Jordan take over in the fourth quarter of tight games. Futhermore, she now has an entire season of post play under her belt, a dynamic which makes it more difficult in shutting her out of any game. Of all the player on this list, Jordan stands the best chance to take the crown from Bordas. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='379527' first='Zaniah' last='Zellous'], George Washington, Post, 6-1, Jr.</strong> - Zellous rebounds and defends like no one else on this list. Plain and simple. The Patriot knows her way around the block on both ends of the court. She outjumps many if not everyone on the floor. She blocks shots few other people can. She plays smart and stays out of foul trouble. She knows how to score. There's just not a lot she can't do when she's on the block. Even if you manage to push her out into the paint, she's handles the ball well enough and takes such monster steps that there is little hope in stopping her from getting to the rim. Like the two players above her, she will be in the spotlight from the start of the season as GW returns everyone for what they hope is a run at a state title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ashlynn Van Tassell, Cameron, C, 6-4, Sr.</strong> - Numbers alone make Van Tassell one of the easiest slam dunks on the top 5 players capable of unseating Bordas. Her points and boards night in and night out will be there just from the fact that Cameron plays in Class A. Where she's going to need to stand out if she wants to win the award will be leadership. She will need to be the unshakable pillar that Cameron can go to whenever and wherever no matter the game or location. There's just no getting around it. Every other player on this list will have proved themselves against a schedule far above what Cameron can put together. There's no shame in that. The teams of the other players play two or three classes above her and have access to more. However, Van Tassell can equal all of them with a season of leadership that propels the Dragons to a third straight state championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":381895,"width":147,"height":218,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/01/Sophi-Nichols.jpg?w=688" alt="" class="wp-image-381895" width="147" height="218" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='375427' first='Sophie' last='Nichols'], Ripley, W, 6-0, Sr.</strong> - If Ripley wins a state championship, [player_tooltip player_id='375427' first='Sophie' last='Nichols'] will be the reason why they raise the trophy. But, not for the reasons you may think. Oh sure, her scoring makes her a wonderful weapon for head coach John Kennedy, but it is her willingness to encourage and get the rest of the team involve that make her stand out on this list. Perhaps no other girl is better at getting her teammates involved, keeping them engaged, and starting the scoring barrage that defines a team then Nichols. When she's hitting her shots, everyone is shooting the basketball. Heck, even when she isn't hitting her shots everyone is shooting the basketball. They all have the confidence in each other and that feeling of team camaraderie largely stems from Nichols. It nearly got them to the state championship game one year ago, and Nichols' talent for rousing her teammates will play the defining part if the Vikings hoist the trophy this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Hopefuls: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='378962' first='Trinity' last='Balog'], Parkersburg; [player_tooltip player_id='379495' first='Finley' last='Lohan'], George Washington; LaLa Woods, Wheeling Park; [player_tooltip player_id='342214' first='Sofia' last='Wassick'], Morgantown; [player_tooltip player_id='379507' first='Gracie' last='Shamblin'], Parkersburg South; Madison Clark, Wyoming East; [player_tooltip player_id='379499' first='Ella' last='Simpson'], University; [player_tooltip player_id='384128' first='Emma' last='Freels'], North Marion; [player_tooltip player_id='384101' first='Allie' last='Daniels'], Spring Valley; [player_tooltip player_id='570285' first='NuNu' last='Pannell'], St. Albans; [player_tooltip player_id='384100' first='Dria' last='Parker'], Spring Valley </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->