Returning Steals Leaders in Group 4
Offense may come and go but defense is forever! And you know what they say… defense wins championships! These hoopers were locked in from start to finish last season and look to continue picking pockets and show off their defensive…
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Continue ReadingOffense may come and go but defense is forever! And you know what they say… defense wins championships! These hoopers were locked in from start to finish last season and look to continue picking pockets and show off their defensive prowess.
Dynasty Chandler Dynasty Chandler 5'8" | SF Elizabeth | 2024 State NJ | Elizabeth
140 steals in 24 games; 5.8 spg
Dynasty’s unrelenting defense was a big reason why Elizabeth went on a twenty-game winning streak and held most of their opponents below 40 points per game last season. She recorded three games in double-figure steals and never once took her foot off the gas, swiping steals at a furious pace. She may achieve 300 career steals in just two seasons of high school basketball at the rate she’s going!
Janessa Rodriguez Janessa Rodriguez CG Passaic Tech | 2024 State NJ | Passaic Tech
115 steals in 25 games; 4.6 spg
Last year, Janessa applied intense pressure right from the beginning, racking up 10 steals in the first two games of the season. Her commitment to playing superior defense helped Passaic Tech book a quarterfinal showing in the PCT as well as an appearance in the North Jersey, Section 1 Group 4 playoffs. 300 career steals is well within striking distance before her senior season comes to a close.
Kahmiyah Napier Kahmiyah Napier PG Newark Eastside | 2024 State NJ | Newark East Side
105 steals in 23 games; 4.6 spg
She’s been terrorizing ball-handlers far and wide for 3 years now and I’m confident her senior season will be no different. With a chance to eclipse 400 career steals by February, Kahmiyah is an excellent perimeter defender with sharp anticipatory skills and lightning quick reflexes. She had three games where she finished in double-figure steals last season (one a part double-double, one a part of a triple-double and one very rare quadruple-double).
Adelina Wilks Adelina Wilks 5'6" | PG Bridgeton | 2025 State NJ | Bridgeton
112 steals in 25 games; 4.5 spg
One of the best defenders in the Cape-Atlantic League, Adelina puts the clamps on and suffocates opponents with her stifling ball pressure. She recorded a triple-double against Cedar Creek (points, rebounds, steals) and quickly put everyone in Group 4 on notice as to what she’s truly capable of. She has a chance to reach 300 career steals before her junior campaign winds down.
Regine Winston Regine Winston SG Linden | 2025 State NJ | Linden
111 steals in 25 games; 4.4 spg
Regine almost doubled her total season steals from her freshman to sophomore year, proving that she’s only getting more tenacious as her game continues to grow and evolve. She forced opponents to turn the ball over at a furious pace and converted suffocating defense into quick-hitting offense. At the rate she’s going, 300 career steals is well within reach before her junior season concludes.
Isabella Ruffa Isabella Ruffa SF Hillsborough | 2026 State NJ | Hillsborough
112 steals in 27 games; 4.1 spg
Hillsborough was a juggernaut on defense last season and a lot of that had to do with Isabella’s active hands and impressively quick, cat-like reflexes. She tallied 5 steals in her high school debut against Bridgewater-Raritan and never looked back, keeping that intensity all season long. Now in Year 2, she has a chance to surpass 200 steals and continue putting Hillsborough in position to win many games.
Mya Loniewski Mya Loniewski 5'3" | PG Hillsborough | 2025 State NJ | Hillsborough
108 steals in 27 games; 4.0 spg
Mya had a breakout sophomore season for Hillsborough and in tandem with teammate Isabella Ruffa Isabella Ruffa SF Hillsborough | 2026 State NJ , caused a lot of headaches for opponents. Her numbers were impressive across the board, but especially on defense where she was relentless in forcing players over at a furious pace. She recorded a game with 11 steals against West Windsor-Plainsboro North and solidified her position right then and there as a legitimate lockdown defender. Mya is expected to surpass 200 career steals before the season winds down in February.
Kimi Sayson Kimi Sayson 5'3" | PG Shore | 2025 State NJ | Long Branch
101 steals in 25 games; 4.0 spg
Kimi’s two-way game is wildly impressive, boasting a loaded offensive arsenal and extraordinary commitment to defense. Arguably one of the best perimeter defenders in all of Group 4, she hounds and stalks the ball-handler, ultimately forcing them to give up the rock, whether it’s by passing it to a teammate or by getting it stolen and turning it over. Now in her junior year, Kimi has a chance to eclipse 200 career steals and further add to her long list of accolades and achievements at Long Branch.
Jah’nae Lembrick Jah’nae Lembrick 5'4" | PG Elizabeth | 2026 State NJ | Elizabeth
95 steals in 24 games; 4.0 spg
Jah’nae made her presence on the defensive end felt in her freshman year. In a game against a very good Westfield team, she went off for a season-high 11 steals, asserting her dominance with scrappy and aggressive defense. 200 career steals are well within striking distance before her sophomore season winds down in February.
Alivia Mauz Alivia Mauz 5'7" | PG Williamstown | 2025 State NJ | Williamstown
115 steals in 29 games; 4.0 spg
In just the second game of her sophomore year, Liv posted a career-high 10 steals in Williamstown’s dominant 68-40 win over Kingsway. Many, many more steals would follow on her way to 115 for the season, proving to be one of the most elite defenders in the Tri-County Conference. Now a junior, she will look to reach career steal no. 300 by the time playoffs roll around.