25 midseason candidates for the Register's Iowa girls basketball Player of the Year
The Iowa high school girls basketball season is already past the halfway mark, and many talented athletes are making their case to be the Des Moines Register’s Player of the Year.
Johnston and Davenport North — both with players nationally ranked by ESPN — feature multiple candidates on this list. It’s hard to ignore the dynamic duo of Divine Bourrage and Journey Houston or leave out some of the Dragons’ top contributors.
But the talent isn’t confined to just Class 5A. This list of 25 players includes athletes from all five classes of Iowa high school girls basketball.
So, what are we waiting for?
Let’s see who’s in the running for the girls basketball player of the year — and remember, this list could change by the end of the season.
Players are listed in alphabetical order. Stats and records are based on what was input to GoBound as of Jan. 17 at 11 a.m.
Bailey Birmingham, Jr., Norwalk
The Warriors’ star is a large factor in Norwalk’s turnaround this season. Her 24.7 points per game average is the second-most in the state and she added 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
Divine Bourrage, Jr., Davenport North
One of the top basketball recruits in the state, Bourrage has averaged 20.1 points per game while sharing the spotlight with another highly-ranked teammate. She’s third in Class 5A in scoring, second in assists and pulls down 9.1 rebounds per game.
Macy Comito, So., Carlisle
Class 4A basketball is packed with talent this season. Carlisle’s sophomore star is third in the class with 23.1 points per game and is the only player on her team to average double-digits. She has added 8.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.6 steals per game in the first half of the season.
Mya Crawford, Jr., Ankeny Centennial
The Drake women’s basketball commit is a large part of the reason why Centennial has beaten some of the top teams in the Des Moines metro. She has averaged 14.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
More: Ankeny Centennial basketball player Mya Crawford commits to Drake
Lindsey Davis, Sr., Nodaway Valley
The Wolverines' senior leads the state with 24.8 points per game and has helped Nodaway Valley start with a 10-2 record. She rounds out her game with 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.8 steals per contest.
Libby Fandel, Jr., Xavier
The Saints struggled this season, but the junior guard has not. She averaged 22.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 4.2 steals per game – numbers that are top-five in many of Class 4A's statistical categories – as Xavier’s main do-it-all contributor.
Erica Houge, Sr., Collins-Maxwell
The Collins-Maxwell senior is third in Class 1A with 22.1 points per game. She's also added 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.8 steals per game while helping the Spartans to a 10-3 record to start the season.
Journey Houston, Jr., Davenport North
The Iowa women’s basketball commit is fourth in Class 5A with 19.2 points per game, and she’s third with 4.9 assists. She has averaged 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 steals per game too, while playing with another top recruit.
More: Davenport North's Divine Bourrage, Journey Houston among top basketball players in U.S.
Sydney Huber, Jr., Mount Vernon
The Mustangs have two talented juniors – with nearly identical stats – leading their 11-1 charge, but Huber gets the edge. She has averaged 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
Elise Jaeger, Sr., Valley
The Tigers stumbled a bit this season, but Jaeger has remained a constant. She has averaged 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game through the first half of the season.
Amani Jenkins, Jr., Johnston
In her first year with the Dragons, the Marquette commit has averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. She is shooting 63.2% from the field and 80.4% from the charity stripe.
Grace Knutson, Sr., Cedar Falls
One of the top scorers in the state, averaging 23.5 points per game. The Drake women’s basketball signee adds 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 steals per game for an 11-1 Cedar Falls team that sits at the top of its conference.
Kamryn Kurt, Sr., North Linn
Kurt is the leader of this 12-1 Lynx squad. She has averaged 19.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 4.2 steals per game. She has shot 54.9% from the field and 41.8% from beyond the arc.
Callie Levin, Sr., Solon
The Iowa women’s basketball signee solidified her spot as one of the state’s top players years ago, and she continued the success into her senior season. Levin has averaged 20.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 5.9 steals per game.
Averie Lower, So., Clear Creek Amana
The Clippers are undefeated so far, and it’s probably because Lower is so difficult to shut down. She has averaged 17 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, helping Clear Creek Amana out to an 11-0 record.
Matilde Motta, Jr., Roland-Story
Last season, the Norse were 12-11. This year, they’re 12-0 and Motta is a big part of that success. She has averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.8 steals per game.
More: How Itallian exchange student Matilde Motta spices up the Roland-Story girls basketball team
Nakia Ollivierre, So., Waterloo West
The West Point women’s basketball commit is off to a solid start in her first season with Waterloo West. She leads the team with 18.3 points per game and has averaged five rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
Payton Petersen, Sr., Dike-New Hartford
It should come as no surprise that the Wolverines' star volleyball player is also dominant on the basketball court. She has averaged 19 points per game while shooting 56.8% from the field. She added 9.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.3 steals per game.
Kayla Reis, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes
The Mustangs have started 10-2 since winning the state championship last season. Reis is the leading scorer, averaging 13.3 points per contest and adding 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Emilie Sorensen, Jr., Waukee
The Warriors like to spread the success, but Sorenson is the leading lady at the midpoint of the season. She has averaged 12.8 points per game and added 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and two rebounds per contest.
Haylee Stokes, Jr., Estherville Lincoln Central
The junior guard jumped out to another successful season, averaging 23 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 5.3 steals per game. She’s helped Estherville Lincoln Central to an 11-2 record so far this season.
Aili Tanke, Sr., Johnston
The Iowa State women’s basketball commit leads the undefeated Dragons with 15 points per game and has added 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per contest too. On a talent-loaded roster, she’s a large part of the reason why Johnston is 13-0.
More: Johnston girls basketball is loaded with talent. But 'attitude' is key to Iowa state title hopes
Quinn Vice, Jr., Pleasant Valley
The Drake women’s basketball commit is the top returning scorer on the reigning Class 5A championship squad. She has averaged 13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game
Yazmeen Whitsitt, Sr., Decorah
The Vikings senior’s 23.4 points per game is the fifth-most in the state, and she’s helped Decorah out to a winning record in the first half of the season. Whitsitt added just over two rebounds and assists per game and picked up 3.2 steals per contest.
Ava Zediker, Jr., Dowling
The Maroons' relatively young roster is out to a 10-3 start, and this Creighton commit is leading the charge. She has averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Midseason candidates for Iowa girls basketball Player of the Year 2024
