CIAC State Finals Standouts: Class LL

The Class LL Girls’ finals for basketball was a great way to get me into watching more girls high school basketball. I’ve been focusing on boys basketball for the better part of 2 years now, but was really excited to get to see the best of CT girls basketball at the CIAC Finals at Mohegan Sun Arena. Here are the standouts from the matchup between East Hartford v. Wilton. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="279966" first="Shailyn" last="Pinkney"], 2022, East Hartford, Seton Hall commit</strong> Pinkney has cemented her legacy as one of the best female basketball players to come through the state of CT. Her entire skillset was on display as she scored 26 points in the championship game against Wilton. Pinkney caught fire in the second half and torched the Warriors defense with 3 huge three pointers that shook Wilton and left them in the dust. Her length made her tough to stop as she accelerated down hill and on defense that same length disrupted passing lanes and made her the most threatening player on the floor. Pinkney was a leader in every way: crashing boards, first one on the floor, and doing all of the little things that lead to a winning performance. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Pinkney will be very happy at a Division 1 program, and she will no doubt thrive at the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="278589" first="Kayla" last="Henry"], 2022, East Hartford</strong> Henry was all over the place in this matchup. Her offensive arsenal and IQ enabled some really good plays by her teammates. She was unafraid to shoot the basketball and was relentless on the glass and inside. Down the stretch, she was perfect from the free throw line and overall was just very polished in every discipline. Her leadership elevated this East Hartford team and she’s a big reason why they got this win. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="299221" first="Nia" last="Edens"], 2024, East Hartford</strong> Edens had a slow first half but eventually picked it up and was one of the coldest players on the floor. Edens was not able to finish much around the rim, but when she saw one go in, it was all over. She was the additional spark East Hartford needed to finish the game out. Edens has an arsenal of moves that make her hard to stay in front of, and it feels like she has the ball on a string. Edens going downhill is crafty and able to finish on everyone with her size and strength. As just a sophomore, I am sure the exterior shots will begin to fall and she will take more of a leadership role, but it was nevertheless impressive what she was able to accomplish as a 3rd option behind Henry and Pinkney. Her future is an exciting one and I would keep and eye on her as she progresses. <strong>Ashleigh Masterson, 2024, Wilton</strong> Masterson was the only Warrior who was completely unafraid on offense. She was able to cement herself down low against a tough interior presence from East Hartford. Masterson was also very efficient from the line, going 6-8 on her way to 16 points for Wilton. Without Masterson, this is a completely different game for the Warriors. Masterson thrived especially with the incredible guard play of Leah Martins, who despite not filling up the stat sheet, seemed to make all of the right decisions and fed Masterson well. Shoutout to to Masterson for finishing what Martins began multiple times on the floor. Her future will also be intriguing and Wilton will be very grateful to keep her on the roster for the next 2 years.