Here are SBLive’s 25 scorers to watch in Idaho high school girls basketball in 2021-22
When Idaho high school girls basketball programs have needed a bucket this season, these 25 players have answered the call time and time again - and should continue to perform down the stretch of the regular season, and into the IDHSAA playoffs.
SBLive talked to coaches in on identifying the most clutch scorers in Idaho. Names are broken down by classification, and listed in alphabetical order:
CLASS 5A
G Kambree Barber, Rigby, soph.
Barber appears poised to follow in former all-state player Tylie Jones’ footsteps. She’s already a 6-footer. Barber uses that length to her advantage with a good jump and low posting. So if she gets anywhere near the basketball, good luck.
G Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene, sr.
Teammate Madi Symons gets most of the headlines, but there is a reason why Burke is signed on to play at UC Santa Barbara. She creates her own shot. Whether that’s from downtown, mid-range or floaters - Burke has to be accounted for.
G Aspen Caldwell, Thunder Ridge, jr.
According to coach Jeremy Spencer, just two years ago, Caldwell was kind of a fish out of water. But now, she’s become the go-to player with the departure of Boston University’s Lauren Davenport on a team that came painstakingly close to a state title last season. Caldwell has done so by being a three-level scorer: outside, mid-range and inside.
F Sophie Glancey, Timberline, sr.
There may be no frontcourt player who has the solid foundation and the fundamentals that this 6-2 forward does. Glancey is so powerful and has such good hands that if she gets the seal on you, there is nothing you can do. It’s exactly why she’s heading to play D1 ball at Northern Arizona.
G Jayden McNeal, Borah, sr.
McNeal has prototypical size for a guard at 6-1. But McNeal plays more like a post because she’s difficult to keep in front of with her ability to slash to the basket. However, her outside shooting has really come along this season. It’s something McNeal will look to continue as she heads to EWU next fall.
C Naya Ojukwu, Mountain View, sr.
A serious knee injury has robbed the state of arguably the most dominant player since Las Vegas Aces’ Destiny Slocum this winter. During her three previous years, she was borderline unguardable down in the low block. It resulted in three consecutive state championship game appearances, back-to-back state titles, a Gatorade player of the year award and signing with the University of Utah.
G Kendall Pickford, Lake City, sr.
If Pickford gets the ball and her feet set anywhere near the 3-point line, it’s over. Her range has seemed limitless and few have been able to chase her down. She just broke the school’s single-season 3-point record that had held for seven years. Pickford, who is signed to Arizona Christian University, is at 59 3-pointers and counting.
G Sydnie Rodriguez, Borah, soph.
It’s tough being the coach’s daughter. But Rodriguez is making her father proud. She already has an offer from the University of Portland and recently visited with Boise State. They and others have taken notice of her exceptional court IQ, which has allowed her to score at will with whatever the offense calls for, whether it’s one-one-one or off motion.
G Annie Stinar, Centennial, sr.
Stinar has been facing double-teamed since her sophomore year. But that hasn’t slowed her down in the slightest. She adapted by creating her own shot, particularly down in the post, which is impressive considering she’s 5-8. It turned her into the Southern Idaho Conference’s leading scorer and led to her signing with the University of Wyoming.
F Madi Symons, Coeur d’Alene, jr.
Symons was already a nightmare for defenders inside the paint. But the 6-footer added a new element to her game this past offseason - a perimeter game. Her 3-point shot has improved and she is now able to take a few dribbles before pulling up in the mid-range. Symons has already crossed 1,000 points in her career, while fielding offers from University of Idaho and University of Rio Grande.
G Audrey Taylor, Timberline, sr.
She is the lightning to Glancey’s thunder. Taylor’s quickness permits her to be great off the dribble, slice through the heart of a defense on the way to the rim and pull up from almost anywhere on the court. If left alone, she will punish you. Taylor will join Glancey at NAU in Flagstaff.
CLASS 4A
G Brinley Cannon, Shelley, soph.
Perhaps the best kept secret in Idaho. She hasn’t received a ton of coverage from around the state. Part of that is being on a rebuilding program. But Cannon has quietly garnered attention of Colorado State and Utah Valley, which has offered her. She is long at 6-0 and uses it for an effective 3-point shot and to get up and under at the rim.
C Hadley Humpherys, Blackfoot, sr.
Also making a strong case for being the state’s most dominant post player this season. The near 6-footer led the Broncos to their first-ever state championship a year ago. And they’re poised to do so again with Humpherys, who is as good as anyone with her back to the rim. Even scarier, she’s added a perimeter game to her ever-growing repertoire this season.
G Payton Hymas, Middleton, sr.
She's made a name for herself by driving to the lane. And when she got inside the key, Hymas was so good at pivoting to create extra space for an easy floater or layup. Not only does Hymas still have that, but has gained more confidence by extending her range where she’s now consistently hitting perimeter shots. Hymas is headed to Lewis-Clark State College.
G Madilynn Keener, Mountain Home, jr.
About an hour’s drive to the next major city in either direction, Mountain Home is kind of in the middle of nowhere. But Keener is putting the military town back on the map. She recently sank 12 3-pointers in a 43-point game performance. She’s crafty around the rim, lethal off the catch and shoot and creates her own shot off the bounce. So this isn’t really anything new for her.
G Macy Larsen, Hillcrest, sr.
Days after signing with Colorado Mesa, Larsen tore her ACL in the first game of the season. But Larsen still left her mark on. Her signature was always her shooting. Whether it was outside, inside, at the free throw line, it didn’t matter. It’s why she still leaves with a plethora of school records, including points in a single game (41), 3s (seven) and consecutive free throws (28).
G Carlie Latta, Minico, soph.
While the Spartans have been up and down all year, Latta has been a model of consistency. Even the best defensive teams like can’t hold her under 20 points. That’s because her length, at nearly 6-0, makes her extremely difficult to stop. You can’t leave her open for a second or Latta is knocking the shot down for sure.
G Mattie Olson, Skyline, sr.
Hasn’t played a single minute after tearing her ACL even before the season began. But her impact was still undeniable. Her aggressiveness led the Grizzlies to their first postseason appearance in 14 years last season, which resulted in a consolation championship. Whether that was from behind the arch or at the hole, she always had a knack for finding the bottom of the basket. Olson signed with Montana State.
G Shay Shippen, Skyline, fr.
When all seemed lost after Olson’s heartbreaking injury, Shippen emerged in a major way to keep the Grizzlies treading water. She’s made her mark in the low post with her footwork. Just when you think you have her stopped while driving to the basket, she jump stops, pump fakes and pivots around defenders for an easy bucket. Shippen’s 3-point shot is also pretty impressive.
G Amari Whiting, Burley, jr.
It isn’t hyperbole to say the 5-10 playmaker is a generational talent. ESPN has her listed as the No. 32 recruit in the nation, and for good reason. Whiting has a motor that won’t quit, is the best scorer on this list and is virtually unguardable. She’s known for her 3-ball, but as the state’s best shooter, she can terrorize teams in the mid-range too, while going to rack, which at the very least draws a foul. Whiting is already committed to nationally-ranked Oregon.
C Kiana Wright, Blackfoot, sr.
Wright forces opposing teams to be honest. Because if they double Humpherys, then that just paves the way for Wright, who does a lot of the same things as her counterpart in the low block. She can dribble to the rim, post you up, slashes to the hoop and might be the best shooter on the floor for the Broncos.
CLASS 3A
G Kennedy Gillette, Sugar-Salem, jr.
Pick your poison with Gillette. If you give the 5-10 guard any space at all, she will pull up from 3-point range and bury it. Play her tight, she will blow past you and anyone else that tries and gets in her way. Multiple-time state champion coach Crystal Dayley has already dubbed her one of the best scorers she’s ever coached.
CLASS 2A
F Ellie Fraas, Cole Valley Christian, sr.
Her future isn’t in basketball - she is signed to play volleyball for the Master’s University in southern California. But the 6-1 playmaker certainly could with how well she cuts through defenses in traffic and finishes the job with either her right or left hand.
CLASS 1A(D1)
G Kiya McAfee, Butte County, sr.
Versatility is the name of the game for McAfee. She doesn’t need anyone to create her own shot. Her handles, perimeter game and ability to take it inside when need be, all led to her eclipsing the 1,000-point barrier for the No. 1 team in Idaho.
CLASS 1A (DII)
C Kiersley Boyer, Rockland, sr.
Vern Nelson has been roaming the sidelines for a long time - 28 years to be exact. And Boyer is the most mechanically sound player he’s ever coached. She’s a great shooter, can score inside and out while running the fast break as well as anybody.
HONORABLE MENTION
G Izzy Arave, Blackfoot, sr.
G Camden Barger, Grangeville, sr.
G Aspen Carter, Eagle, sr.
F Austyn Harris, Parma, sr.
F Avery Howell, Boise, so
G Marli Reed, Rocky Mountain, sr.
C Capri Sims, Post Falls, sr.
(Featured file photo by Loren Orr Photography)
