2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best girls basketball players in central Ohio?
Two state players of the year and three members of Division III champion Africentric are among the 12 honorees on the 2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro girls basketball team.
The Athlete of the Year in each sport – 30 in all – will be announced at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 20 at Mershon Auditorium. Each member of the All-Metro girls basketball team will receive a free ticket to that live event, where nine premier awards also will be announced, including boys and girls overall athletes of the year, boys and girls overall coaches of the year, boys and girls overall teams of the year, courage award, school spirit award and lifetime achievement award.
All-Metro Coach of the Year: Circleville's Brian Bigam steadies, inspires Tigers during emotional season
Harper Annarino, Granville
The 6-foot senior forward helped the Blue Aces (25-2) win a Division II district title. Annarino, a University of Charleston signee, averaged 19.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocked shots. She was Player of the Year in the Licking County League-Buckeye for the second consecutive season and earned first-team all-district and all-state honors. Granville lost to Bryan in a regional semifinal.
Emily Bratton, Bloom-Carroll
A three-time Division II district Player of the Year, three-time first-team all-state honoree and 2023-24 Ms. Basketball finalist, the 5-7 senior guard heads to Miami University as arguably the Bulldogs’ top all-time player. Bratton holds program records for points (1,745), 3-pointers in a season (83) and career (239), assists (488) and steals (292) and this season averaged 23.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 4.0 steals. Bloom-Carroll (20-6) won its first district championship since 2019 and lost to eventual state champion Cincinnati Purcell Marian in a regional semifinal.
JoJo Eberhart, Marysville
The 5-10 senior guard was named Player of the Year in the OCC-Cardinal, first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division I. She averaged 11.7 points, 4.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 steals. Eberhart led Marysville (22-4) to a district final a season after helping the program win its first district championship.
Kylie Gibson, Newark Catholic
The 5-7 senior guard helped lead the Green Wave (24-1) to a Division IV district championship, averaging 15 points and 4.5 steals. Gibson was first-team all-district and all-state and shared Player of the Year honors in the LCL-Cardinal with Johnstown’s Abigail Adkins. Newark Catholic lost to Waterford in a regional semifinal.
Kamryn Grant, Africentric
The 5-11 senior guard finished her career with a flourish, earning Division III district and state Player of the Year and first-team all-City League-South in leading the Nubians (28-2) to their second consecutive state title. Grant, a Dayton signee, averaged 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks after missing the majority of her junior season with an ACL injury. She is a two-time first-team all-district selection and also was second-team all-state as a sophomore.
London Johnson, Canal Winchester
The 6-0 sophomore, who plays both guard and forward, averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 steals in leading the Indians (19-7) to their first Division I district final since 2020 and within a win of their first district championship since 1986. An honorable mention all-district selection as a freshman, Johnson was named first-team all-OCC-Capital, second-team all-district and special mention all-state.
Sydney Mobley, Olentangy
This 6-2 freshman forward made an immediate contribution, helping to lead the Braves (24-2) to a Division I district championship before losing 47-44 to Watterson in a regional semifinal. Mobley earned first-team all-OCC-Cardinal, all-district and all-state honors after averaging 17.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
Natiah Nelson, Africentric
Another from the Nubians’ deep group of guards, the 5-10 senior averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists as Africentric repeated as state champions. Nelson, who played her freshman and sophomore seasons at Toledo Rogers before becoming a key cog in both Nubians title runs, earned first-team all-City-South and all-district and second-team all-state. She will play in college at DePaul.
Whitney Stafford, Olentangy
The 5-6 sophomore guard teamed with Mobley to give the Braves a solid 1-2 tandem heading into the next two seasons. Stafford averaged 17.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 steals to earn first-team all-league, all-district and all-state. Olentangy won OCC-Cardinal and district championships, the latter the first for the program since 1998.
Samairah Thompson, Africentric
The 5-10 senior forward and Buffalo signee contributed 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game to the Nubians’ run to a second consecutive Division III state championship and state-record ninth overall. Thompson earned second-team all-City-South and all-district and honorable mention all-state. Africentric also won its ninth consecutive City championship and 16th in 19 seasons as well as its 18th district title in 21 years.
Berry Wallace, Pickerington Central
The 6-1 senior forward averaged 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals in leading the Tigers (25-4) to a second consecutive Division I state semifinal. Wallace, an Illinois signee and McDonald’s All-American Game participant, was named OCC-Buckeye, district and state Player of the Year. She also was a finalist for Ohio Ms. Basketball. Wallace finished her high school career with 1,477 points, 971 rebounds, 246 assists and 142 steals.
Sophie Ziel, Watterson
The 5-9 junior guard helped lead the Eagles (20-7) to CCL and Division I district championships and their first regional final appearance in 37 years, losing to Pickerington Central 43-30. Ziel averaged 18.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists. She was named first-team all-district and all-CCL and second-team all-state.
Second team
Rylee Bess, Pickerington Central, senior
Voni Bethel, Fisher Catholic, senior
Gigi Bower, Olentangy Liberty, senior
Ellie Bruce, Fisher Catholic, senior
Leila Carter, International, sophomore
Addison Edgington, Circleville, freshman
Kennedy Houston, Centennial, freshman
Elizabeth Hunt, Upper Arlington, sophomore
Maliyah Lofton, Harvest Prep, sophomore
Claire Mikola, Olentangy Liberty, junior
Carlie Osborne, Buckeye Valley, senior
Evan Platfoot, Jonathan Alder, senior
Special mention
Abigail Adkins, Johnstown, sr.; Denza Allen, Big Walnut, jr.; Kaliyah Barron, East, jr.; Addie Beard, Delaware Christian, jr.; Aubrey Benedict, North Union, sr.; Maddie Blakeman, Circleville, so.; Jayla Dukes, Whitehall, jr.; Taylor Evans, Amanda-Clearcreek, so.; Jenna Grabans, Lancaster, sr.; Zoe Guice, Westerville South, sr.; Ella Hazelrigg, Buckeye Valley, jr.; Kayla Houston, Centennial, jr.; Kiannah Ingram, Logan Elm, so.; Gwen Jenkins, Dublin Coffman, sr.; Sa’Mahn Johnson, Reynoldsburg, jr.; Gianna Lane, Hilliard Darby, jr.; Remy Largent, Big Walnut, fr.; Kayla Larimore, Centerburg, jr.; Tatum Lusher, Grandview Heights, so.; Ella Martin, Westerville Central, sr.; Layla Merriweather, Olentangy Berlin, sr.; Thea Palmore, Grove City, sr.; Sophie Peloquin, Newark Catholic, jr.; Abbey Price, Marysville, sr.; Ze’Shari Sheppard, Groveport, so.; Niah Smedley, Dublin Scioto, jr.; Faith Thomas, Patriot Prep, so.; Elodie Ware, Wellington, sr.; Marissa Wilkinson, Bloom-Carroll, sr.; Kennedy Younkin, Teays Valley, sr.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro high school girls basketball team
