Class 5A Spotlight: 2024-2025 Players To Watch I - Z

Class 5A is the largest classification in the state. It also has some of the best players to grace the hardwood. On any given night, one of the top players in the classification can drop twenty or thirty against a team. That is why they are some of the cream of the crop to watch in the Boot. In this preview of some of the best players in 5A, we will list 30 players to watch as the 2024-25 season evolves.   Maleigha James (5'7" | 2025 | Barbe) - The lefty guard can hurt the opposition in transition or behind the arc. James is a player who sets her puppies quickly when she spots up. In transition she fills the lane well and finishes with either hand. Maleigha often starts the break with steals reading passing lanes.    Johnson may be the best point guard in 5A. She is a player who can drive by defenders or shoot over them. Her basketball IQ is off-the-charts. Kira knows when to attack, when to pass, or when to shoot from deep. She is a player who has a skill set that can take over any game. She is dynamic on the hardwood.    [player_tooltip player_id='485526' first='Tiarra' last='McPipe'] (5'9" | 2025 | Zachary) - McPipe is a dual threat on the offensive end of the floor. She is very good on the glass and finds ways to get offensive boards. McPipe also plays passing lanes extremely well and converts in transition with either hand. Defensively, she can guard multiple positions because of her height and quickness.   [player_tooltip player_id='484971' first='Arionna' last='Patterson'] (6'0" | 2025 | Walker) - Patterson is a mutli-faceted player who does her best work in the post. She has an array of moves that constantly keeps defenders off balance. Not only can she score with her back to the basket, she can put it on the floor and attack other post players. Patterson has a feathery touch with an assassin's mentality.   Zariell Pollard (5'11 | 2026 | Thibodaux) - Pollard is the anchor of the Thibodaux offense and for good reason. She has great hands and is a dependable scorer on the block. Pollard is also a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor. She can protect the paint by blocking shots also.    [player_tooltip player_id='484976' first='Amijah' last='Price'] is as good as they come when we speak of all-around players. She can play either guard position. Her ability to attack the rim and finish through contact shows her toughness and awareness. Price can also hand out assists like a traditional point. There isn't much Price cannot do on the hardwood if anything.    [player_tooltip player_id='909412' first='Ava' last='Raymond'] (5'7" | 2026 | Zachary) - Raymond is a high level combo guard who can attack a defense from either guard position. She can lead the break and find the open wing filling the lane. When she runs the floor, she fills the lane or spots up. Raymond has the versatility to attack multiple ways.   [player_tooltip player_id='889658' first='Kennedi' last='Smith'] (5'3" | 2025 | Captain Shreve) - Smith is a high level defender. She knows how to put pressure on a ball-handler from baseline to baseline. Smith gets a lot of offensive opportunities because she creates turnovers. She can also spot up and drain threes off of turnovers or offensive plays.    Spencer is a double-double threat as soon as she walks on the floor. She can obtain that goal by scoring mixed with rebounding, assists, or steals. Spencer has elite scoring ability and knows how to handle the ball extremely well. She does not have any holes in her game. Her ability to take over a game in any facet is second to none.    Ke'Zyriah Sykes (5'11" | 2026 | Airline) - Sykes is a high motor, high energy player. She can kill a possession with her defense on one end and outrun everyone to score on the other. Ke'Zyriah can score from the mid-range and the block. No one will out-work her for a rebound. She is highly competitive.    Ursin is a player who can dominate a game with her defense or her offense. She can shoot the three at a high level and can go off for multiple makes in a game. On the defensive end, Ursin can play passing lanes or on the ball defense and dictate play. Whether it is her offense or her defense, one or the other is going to help her team win.    [player_tooltip player_id='484987' first='Akeelah' last='Wade'] (5'10" 2025 | Natchitoches Central) - Wade is one of the best in the state operating below the three point arc. From the mid-range to the block, she is a hard player to stop. Wade can score with either hand from either block and make short jumpers. Defenders must bring their lunch guarding her.   Mar'Kayla Williams (5'7" | 2026 | West Monroe) - Williams may be the fastest player switching ends in a 5A lineup. She has the ability to steal a pass and beat everyone on the other in to finish. Williams is also cat quick to the ball rebounding it off the glass. She is a terror on both ends of the floor for opposing teams.    Wilson has continued to develop her game and it is paying off in her senior campaign. She is a player who can handle, spot up, and rebound. Wilson can also score from the block and be a fierce offensive rebounder as well. Her game is multi-faceted and can fit into any system. She has high value because she can do multiple things well.    Catch any of these females during the week or during the weekend as tournament and showcase play continues around Louisiana.

Class 5A is the largest classification in the state. It also has some of the best players to grace the hardwood. On any given night, one of the top players in the classification can drop twenty or thirty against a team. That is why they are some of the cream of the crop to watch in the Boot. In this preview of some of the best players in 5A, we will list 30 players to watch as the 2024-25 season evolves.