Charleston City Rankings: Shooting Guards

Note: The Charleston city rankings will encompass players from the entire Kanawha Valley including all 13 schools in Kanawha and Putnam Counties. 

The position of shooting guard is one of strength in the greater Charleston area/Kanawha Valley. A fairly easy argument could be made that the three best returning players in the area next season are all shooting guards. A pair of scorers that both averaged over 24 points per game last year highlight the group with plenty of potential among younger players coming up through the ranks.

Here are the five best returning shooting guards in the area.

#1 Kalissa Lacy Kalissa Lacy 5'10" | SG George Washington | 2021 State WV — 2021 — George Washington

The Mary Ostrowski Award winner for the state player of the year, Lacy’s game continued to grow by leaps and bounds last year as she averaged just shy of 25 points per game against one of the most rugged schedules in the state. Always a deadly shooter, Lacy continues to become more and more comfortable driving to the rim and in the mid-range as well. While her offensive repertoire continues to develop, so too does her defense where she became a terror, using her length atop George Washington’s press to create turnovers and instant offense. But more than all of that, Lacy’s motor is never in question and her even-keeled temperament, no matter the situation on the court, is a rare find among high school players.

#2 Baylee Goins Baylee Goins 5'8" | CG Nitro | 2021 State WV — 2021 — Nitro

If Lacy is No. 1 in this group, Goins should be No. 1A. The two were both finalists for the Ostrowski Award and Goins led the state in scoring, averaging 26 points per contest. Goins is likely the best all-around offensive player in the state, taking on multiple defenders on a nightly basis and scoring in the paint, at the foul line and far beyond the perimeter. She has also shown the ability to thrive in tense situations, scoring over 40 twice in elimination games on the road last season as the Wildcats advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 13 years. There is little Goins can’t do on the court and her and Lacy’s duel to the end this last award season may be just a precursor to what should be special senior seasons in the Kanawha Valley.

#3 Maliha Witten Maliha Witten 5'10" | PG South Charleston | 2021 State WV — 2021 — South Charleston

Witten often gets lost in the shuffle a bit behind her two high-scoring, 2021 contemporaries, but she shouldn’t. At all. Witten is the best defensive player in the Kanawha Valley and perhaps beyond. The Black Eagles’ man-to-man, half court, grinding defense tends to give opponents fits with Witten taking the opponent’s best option each game. Season-ending injuries to point guard Kiki Terrell Kiki Terrell 5'5" | PG South Charleston | 2021 State WV (2021) over the past two seasons have forced Witten to the point and in facilitating, she’s had to sacrifice some of her own scoring. Still, Witten averaged 14.1 points per game in her junior season for a team predicated on defense. Witten has learned how to use defense to propel her offense and her intensity and competitiveness while staring down some of the state’s best scorers truly set her apart.

#4 Talayah Boxley Talayah Boxley 5'9" | PF Capital | 2022 State WV — 2022 — Capital

Along with point guard Natalyia Sayles Natalyia Sayles 5'8" | SF Capital | 2022 State WV (2022), Boxley gives Capital a solid backcourt to try to build around as the program continues to try and climb its way back up the ladder in the Mountain State Athletic Conference. Boxley was named the Kanawha Valley rookie of the year two seasons ago, narrowly edging out Sayles, but it was Sayles who turned a more consistent season this past winter. Boxley is capable of big scoring nights, as is Sayles, but like the rest of the team, it tends to be inconsistent at times. If the Cougars are going to continue to ascend from the doldrums of the conference and of Class AAA, Boxley will have to be reliable on both ends each and every night.

#5 Taylor Maddox Taylor Maddox 5'7" | SG Nitro | 2023 State WV — 2023 — Hurricane

Maddox was one of three freshmen who started a year ago and while point guard Maggie Odour Maggie Odour 5'7" | CG Hurricane | 2023 State WV (2023) made most of the headlines, Maddox too turned in a solid debut campaign. Maddox did much of her damage from 3-point range and that dependency on the outside shot led to some big scoring nights and others in which nothing would fall. For reference, Maddox lit up Sissonville for 23 points and Capital for 22 points, but also had four scoreless outings as well, eventually settling for an 8.4 points-per-game average. Some of that is to be expected out of a freshman, but alongside the ultra-athletic Odour and a mostly young core, the Redskins could have something brewing for the future. Maddox is sure to be a big part of that.