Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA is the best senior in NOVA and one of the best players in the state. Laura was the WCAC player of the year and a force on both ends. Laura improved this year posting up, and with how much offense PVI lost this year, Laura upped her game to me. When PVI was healthy, they beat many great teams, and Laura’s rebounding, defense, and improved scoring were why. I’ve always felt throughout Laura’s high school career, she was a next-level defender. She emphasized that this year.

Laura was named WCAC Conference Player of the Year and is headed to Southern California.  She scored 9 points and pulled out 3 rebounds for the the #5 seeded Panthers.  PVI only brings back everyone outside of Laura so I guess it will be business as usual in Chantilly.

PVI’s defense against St. John’s was terrific on Sunday, and Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA was their anchor. St. John’s struggled to get shots over Laura’s length, and she disrupted everything they tried to do. She also dominated the game in the paint on offense, working out the post and forcing a lot of St. John’s fouls. Laura was great on the glass and had an outstanding all-around game.

Laura has the size, skill and political backing to win the award.  The Panthers falling to LIL by 70 and having a losing record doesn’t help her cause.  Laura is a longshot for POY but she still has a shot.  If we have learned anything over the years it is to never underestimate Scott Allen and the system.

Paul VI lost six seniors but they return Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA the 6’2″ wing/forward that has a hall of fame bloodline.  PVI has something no other team has, Scott Allen and the legendary “Panther System”.  The Panthers just need five players to play hard and play defense and they can compete with anyone in the country.  My mind have the Panthers as the #5 team in the WCAC, but my gut and analytics have them in the top three.

Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA is one of the safer picks for this award. PVI has had two Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year award winners in the last five years. A big reason for this is that PVI will always be one of the best teams in the state. They play great competition in the WCAC, and Laura being one of the best players in one of the best conferences on the East Coast goes a long way. Laura is nationally ranked and a monster on both ends. She will average a double-double, and her impact on games is unique. Laura has also improved drastically on offense, and I think PVI will play through her out the post a lot more. You will see Laura put up huge 20 points and 20 rebounds in games with a handful of blocks added.

Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA does almost everything at a high level for a big, but her defensive ability makes her unique. Three things usually make you an elite defender in the paint. Having the physical tools is one, putting in the effort and energy is the other, and the last is defensive instincts that are hard to teach. Laura has all 3. She has the length and athletic ability and takes absolute pride in that end of the floor. Her shot-blocking and defensive IQ help her lead an excellent PVI defense.

Laura had an incredible streak leading Paul VI to four victories with a 20 point 12 rebound and 4 blocked shot average.  She came in knowing that she would be leaned on as she took most of the Panthers shots and led them in basically every possible statistic.  As defenses keyed on her she continued to show dominance using every of her 6’3″ frame.

Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA was as good as expected all weekend. Against South Shore, she had a ridiculous 21 points and 23 rebounds. She missed many shots around the rim, but her energy and size kept the play alive and let her team get extra possessions. Laura had 50 rebounds and 14 blocks in 4 games leading her team to a 4-0 weekend. Those stats are impressive, without mentioning that she was one of the best scorers on the weekend.

Laura Williams Laura Williams 6'2" | PF Paul VI | 2024 State VA dominated both games in her usual ways. She was dominant on defense, collecting 7 blocks in their first game against Mt. Zion, then 4 blocks in their game against George School. She dominated on the glass, hauling in 10 in both contests. But the real story of her day was her scoring, particularly how she did it. Laura has been able to score for a while, but her jump shot hasn’t been a real factor. She had 19 against Mt. Zion but knocked down mid-range jumpers and 2 threes in 2 tries. Then against George School, she had a monster 28 points and took 3 threes, making 1. If Laura becomes a consistent three-point shooter, she will be unstoppable.