New Year Storylines

In this article:
With the new calendar year upon us, let’s talk about what storylines are to unfold in 2024.
The Race to the Top
Although it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, who really is the best girls team in Georgia? There are two clear cut options: Class 7A No. 1 Grayson or Class 3A No. 1 Hebron Christian. Hebron Christian entered the year with the most fanfare, a loaded roster that has destroyed the competition dating back to GBCA Live in June. Grayson however, is the hottest they’ve been all season, their four transfers gelling quickly. While Hebron Christian (11-2) has the slight advantage in the national rankings, Grayson (12-0) has made up ground in the blink of an eye. The Lions went 2-2 at the Nike Tournament of Champions while the Rams tore apart the competition in a pair of Insider Exposure events, going 5-0 winning by an average of 38 points per game. The quintet of
Danielle Carnegie
Danielle
Carnegie
5'9" | PG
Grayson | 2024
State
GA
(Georgia Tech),
Malaya Jones
Malaya
Jones
5'3" | PG
Grayson | 2024
State
GA
(Nicholls State),
Tatum Brown
Tatum
Brown
5'5" | PG
Grayson | 2025
State
GA
,
Taj Hunter
Taj
Hunter
5'8" | CG
Grayson | 2024
State
GA
and
Erin Rodgers
Erin
Rodgers
6'1" | SF
Grayson | 2024
State
GA
(Florida Atlantic) composes arguably the best starting five in Georgia, all dynamic guards. Where Hebron would have the advantage on paper would be with their size and overall depth, boasting
Jakerra Butler
Jakerra
Butler
6'0" | PF
Hebron Christian | 2025
State
GA
and
Danielle Osho
Danielle
Osho
6'1" | PF
Hebron Christian | 2025
State
GA
as twin towers inside that would potentially cause issues for the smaller Rams.
Aubrey Beckham
Aubrey
Beckham
5'10" | PG
Hebron Christian | 2025
State
GA
has ascended into becoming Georgia’s top 2025, recently picking up a Tennessee offer while
Mia James
Mia
James
5'5" | PG
Hebron Christian | 2025
State
GA
stars alongside a vast array of aggressive guards that can shoot the ball. A dream matchup couldn’t be agreed upon to appear on the schedule this year but the two will likely be in Macon come March and compete for what matters most in their respective classifications, a state title.
Class 5A Contenders
It appears as the top three, possibly the top four are above all others in Class 5A. No. 1 Union Grove (13-1), No. 2 Midtown (11-0), No. 3 Maynard Jackson (10-1) and No. 4 Warner Robins (10-1) have all played exceptionally well. Warner Robins may be the biggest surprise out of the four even though they were state runner-up a year ago. Graduation hit the Demonettes hard, but freshman
Trinitee Thomas
Trinitee
Thomas
5'9" | SG
Warner Robins | 2027
State
GA
has lived up to the hype and carried Warner Robins with the help of
Nevaeh Mack
Nevaeh
Mack
5'5" | PG
Warner Robins | 2024
State
GA
, Tori Davis, Korveanna Slaughter and Verkesia Fuller who have all stepped up. Union Grove has played the toughest schedule out of the bunch, their only loss coming against Hebron Christian. The senior-laden group has great guard play led by
Jordan Brooks
Jordan
Brooks
5'4" | PG
Union Grove | 2024
State
GA
and two relentless posts in
Nadea Smith
Nadea
Smith
5'11" | PF
Union Grove | 2024
State
GA
and
Mariah Miller
Mariah
Miller
6'0" | PF
Union Grove | 2024
State
GA
. Maynard Jackson’s January 16 battle with Midtown will tell us a lot about both teams. In order for Midtown to truly announce themselves as a state contender, they will have to knock off their Region 5 rival. The Jaguars swept Midtown last season 84-40, 61-50 and 53-40 but Midtown is a year older now and is playing with great confidence especially after wins over Class 2A No. 2 Thomson 57-53 and Class 5A No. 8 Jones County 36-33. The Knights have massive tests this week starting tonight as they visit Class 4A No. 4 Stockbridge and host Class 5A No. 6 Creekside on Friday.