Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA ‘s offensive versatility and consistency were huge for a great Briar Woods team all year. She is one of the best shooters in the state and has great size to go with it. Hope led Briar in scoring with 17.7 PPG and rebounding with 7.7. She is a great passer and was the biggest reason Briar lost only one regular season game. She was also named second team all-state.

Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA does not have the volume of the other players on this list because of the versatility of Hope’s offense. But don’t let that fool you because Hope can keep up with anyone as a shooter. Hope’s first-place finish at the NOVA seniors showcase 3-point contest is a good example. Hope is an elite spot-up shooter and her size makes it a luxury. Watching Hope this year, I always felt like it would have benefitted her more if she had taken more because she is such a good shooter. She knocked down 49 threes at a good percentage.

Stone Bridge and Briar Woods have played four entertaining and competitive games this year, and their regional final game might have been the best. I Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA was the most excellent player in this game. Briar took an early lead, but Stone Bridge made a lot of big shots and went on a lot of mini-runs. Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA answered Stone Bridge’s punches and had another clutch performance. Hope knocked down 3 threes, two of them being consecutive, following a string of Stone Bridge buckets. Hope had a couple of really nice passes as well. Hope finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds to lead Briar to its first Regional title.

Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA is another player I had on my standouts for the week, and she had her best game against an elite Highland Springs team. Hope had 24 points and was the only player on her team in double figures. So far, this was the best win for a Briar Woods team that sits at 16-1. She knocked down two threes and was perfect at the line.

Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA scored 20+ points in all three of Briar Woods’ wins this week. She is the best player on one of the better public school teams in the state and is ridiculously consistent. Whether or not her three-point shot is falling, she always hovers around 20 points, and her rebounding was big all week. It was an unsurprisingly good week from a fantastic player.

The Monday Riverside Vs. Briar game had a lot of offense, so I could have listed many players from that game that stood out. But what Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA did that night and what she did later in the week made me compelled to talk about her performance. Against Riverside, Drake knocked down three threes and did what she wanted as a scorer all over the court. She had a great day on the offensive glass and did a lot work inside the paint, punishing smaller Riverside players. She finished that game with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Then, on Thursday, she had a very good complete game. She finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds, and I thought she did a great job as a passer in this game. She showed her full arsenal this week, and she was impressive.

Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA is a fantastic shooter and matchup nightmare. She is almost 6 feet tall and is comfortable shooting over defenders. A lot of what Briar Woods does offensively flows through Hope, and she provides offense to them in multiple ways. As I mentioned, she is a fantastic shooter, but she also takes advantage of smaller defenders on her and is also a great playmaker. Hope can play the 3 or 4 effectively and does an excellent job on the glass. Hope was Potomac district player of the year, a feat I could see her repeating this season.

Hope brings great size to the wing spot, and she has the ability to play multiple positions. She was great in high school and the spring this season! Averaging 17 points per game and taking home player of the year tile in the Potomac District. She can slide into that point forward as well and handle the ball when asked. Very smart player and makes good reads moves well without the ball in her hands. Consistently a top player in that state her high school and AAU career can be a plug and play player at the next level!   

Hope Drake Hope Drake 5'11" | SF Briar Woods | 2024 State VA is a good example of what many coaches want in a forward in today’s game. She is about 6 feet and a solid rebounder, but her shooting ability makes her great. She is a terrific spot-up shooter and can get hot in a hurry. Hope was first-team all-region and averaged 17.7 PPG and 7.2 RPG.