All-Defense: First Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024-25 <strong>regular season</strong> for girls' high school basketball is officially complete. Which means, now is the perfect time to look back and identify some of the premier defenders across the State, regardless of class. Here are the selections for the All-Defensive: First Team!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong>Players</strong></td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong>School</strong></td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">[player_tooltip player_id='458557' first='Catalina' last='Anaya']</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">St. Pius X</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">[player_tooltip player_id='839425' first='Harper' last='Dunn']</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Corona/Vaughn</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">[player_tooltip player_id='648232' first='Jazzlyn' last='Gomez']</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Aztec</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">[player_tooltip player_id='648196' first='Adeline' last='Spratley']</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Albuquerque Academy</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">[player_tooltip player_id='642713' first='Natalia' last='Stout']</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Pecos</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Players listed in alphabetical order by last name</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["458557"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67bfd6606c63c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anaya is a menace and one of the few players capable of picking up 84 feet. Furthermore, the 5'5" senior point-guard is a fierce competitor with a great motor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anaya thrives in fast pace games, due to her constant on-ball pressure, whether in man-to-man or zone. In 2024-25, Anaya averaged 5.0 steals per game for the Sartans. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["839425"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67bfd6606c6cc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dunn is a prolific shot-blocker, who led the State in total blocks and blocks per game. In 22 games played, the 6'6" sophomore finished with 162 blocks, which averaged out to 7.4 blocks per game respectively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additionally, Dunn tallied eight games with double-digit blocks for the Cardinals in 2024-25 while also setting a new career-high with 2.7 steals per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["648232"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67bfd6606c73b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">This season, Gomez, a junior combo-guard, posted new career-highs in total steals (171) and steals per game (7.1) for the Tigers. Such numbers resulted in Gomez being the leader amongst the 2026 class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Altogether, Gomez was second behind only Pecos' senior shooting-guard N. Stout, for the State lead in both categrories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gomez has active hands and anticipates well, especially the skip-pass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["648196"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67bfd6606c7a3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spratley is a versatile front-court player who was one of five players to average at least 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game, during the 2024-25 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In 25 games played for the Chargers, the 5'11" Spratley averaged 2.9 steals and 2.2 blocks per game, both career-highs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["642713"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67bfd6606c80b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Stout not only led the State in total steals (193) and steals per game (7.4) but was the only player to record 190+ steals in 2024-25. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">In 26 games played, the senior shooting-guard recorded seven games with 10+ steals for the Panthers. What's more Stout had a season high 14 steals on Nov. 30 vs Mesa Vista. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What impressed, is Stout's ability to move her feet&nbsp;and cut off drives to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Statistics via MaxPreps*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->