Top 10 Returning Steals Leaders in Non-Public A and B

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 to pick pockets and show off their defensive prowess.   [player_tooltip player_id='835956' first='Rhaiyna' last='Brown'] | Timothy Christian   135 steals in 24 games; 5.6 spg   Rhaiyna burst onto the high school hoops scene last winter and quickly established herself as a force on both sides of the ball. In fact, she was one of the most prolific scorers in the state, as well as one of the toughest defenders. She swiped double-digit steals in five games, with a season-high 13 coming against Perth Amboy Magnet. She's as committed to defense as they come, keeping the ball in front and hands up and active, always looking to force the opponent over. She'll aim for career steal #300 by the time February rolls around.   [player_tooltip player_id='871417' first='Gwen' last='Niemeyer'] | Koinonia   96 steals in 22 games; 4.4 spg   Gwen's career-best 12 steals came just nine games into her sophomore season against Sussex Tech. She followed that up with 7 against Timothy Christian and 5 against Middlesex. Plain and simple, she was on a tear in January, and really, all season long. She applied ball pressure and kept her eye on the prize. In fact, she stole said prize from opponents 4.4 times per game, to be exact! Year 3 looks to be even bigger!   [player_tooltip player_id='871385' first='Roni' last='Niemeyer'] | Koinonia   99 steals in 23 games; 4.3 spg   With Gwen and Roni, it's a sister act! Roni was committed defensively from start to finish last season, tallying 99 steals, including a career-high 9 against Palisades Park. Her pursuit of the ball helped Koinonia win close battles against Keyport (34-27, 7 steals) & Keansburg (63-56, 5 steals). This season, she looks to one-up herself and hit triple-digit totals before her junior campaign comes to a close.   [player_tooltip player_id='600920' first='Leah' last='McNulty'] | Timothy Christian   84 steals in 24 games; 3.5 spg   Alongside [player_tooltip player_id='835956' first='Rhaiyna' last='Brown'], this duo proved to be a tough backcourt presence for Timothy Christian. Defensively, they both wreaked havoc. Leah's career-high 11 steals was part of a phenomenal triple-double performance (21 points, 12 rebounds, 11 steals against Perth Amboy Magnet). If her team needed a stop, she could be relied upon to make it happen. Now in Year 3, she'll look to cross the triple-digit mark for her career in the first few games of the season and continue to apply pressure and tally steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='671412' first='Kara' last='Spivey'] | Timothy Christian   72 steals in 21 games; 3.4 spg   As a sophomore, Kara nearly doubled her total steals from her freshman year. She helped Timothy Christian establish themselves as a formidable defensive squad, alongside Rhaiyna and Leah. She recorded a career-best 9 steals in a mid-January win over New Brunswick and followed that up with 6 steals against Mother Seton and 7 steals against Piscataway Magnet, both wins as well.   Isabella Pizzo | Villa Walsh   65 steals in 20 games; 3.3 spg   It may have been an abbreviated season for Isabella, but she made the most of it! With an average of just over 3 steals per contest, she made her presence on defense felt night after night. She swiped a career-high 6 steals on two separate occasions: against Kinnelon and St. Elizabeth. Her 65 steals were more than double her sophomore totals. With the start of her senior campaign just weeks away, Isabella will look to keep increasing her numbers and possibly even flirt with 200 steals before it's all said and done.   [player_tooltip player_id='525308' first='Sabrina' last='Little'] | Holy Spirit   89 steals in 29 games; 3.1   An electric PG, Sabrina is a fearless defender who hawks the perimeter, ready to pick off passes and tally the steals. She had a big breakthrough in Year 3, nearly doubling the amount of steals from her sophomore year! She notched a career-high 10 steals in a late-January win against a very good Manchester Township squad. Notable performances include 5 steals against Woodbury, 5 against Atlantic City & 7 against Sterling.   [player_tooltip player_id='559085' first='Addison' last='Nyemchek'] | Red Bank Catholic   92 steals in 31 games; 3.0 spg   One of the best defenders in the state regardless of Class, Addy put the clamps on some of the best teams in the nation. She averaged just under 4 spg against nationally ranked opponents in Morris Catholic (NJ), Dr. Phillips (FL), LuHi (NY), Archbishop Wood (PA) & Westtown (PA). Now entering her junior year with a national ranking next to her name, the sky is truly the limit for this budding superstar. She will look to eclipse 200 steals for her career before the postseason comes around.   [player_tooltip player_id='559820' first='Addy' last='Platt'] | Gill St. Bernard's   87 steals in 30 games; 2.9 spg   In her final season at Pope John (transferred to GSB for her junior year), put on a defensive clinic against some of the state's top teams. She snatched 3 steals against eventual Group 1 State Champ & juggernaut University and tallied 3 steals against the Devyn Quigley-led Manchester Township. She was excellent in the postseason, applying relentless pressure while averaging just under 3 spg and leading her team to the Non-Public A State Final.   [player_tooltip player_id='879618' first='Imani' last='Dennis'] | Bishop Eustace   85 steals in 29 games; 2.9 spg   As the her junior season wore on, Imani continued to get better and better defensively. By the time mid-season approached, she was fully locked in, clocking a season-high 7 steals against Camden. She followed that up with two more similar performances, tallying 7 steals against North Burlington just three games later and another 7 in her second meeting with Camden in late February. In her final high school hurrah, look for Imani to lock in and help lead to a deep postseason run in Non-Public B.

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 to pick pockets and show off their defensive prowess.