TCPalm Winter All-Area: Meet the area's top stars in girls basketball from the 2023-24 season
The spring athletic high school calendar is in full force, but the accomplishments from the winter are still being celebrated.
The TCPalm Winter All-Area award season is here as the Treasure Coast’s top athletes and coaches from soccer, wrestling and girls weightlifting have been honored throughout the week. Today, we shift our attention to the ladies on the hardwood.
Lincoln Park Academy, the team that enjoyed the area’s deepest postseason run, swept our superlatives winners while a fellow district champion in Martin County had a pair of players claim spots on the All-Area First Team. Elsewhere, district rivals St. Lucie West Centennial and Fort Pierce Central are well represented.
TCPalm Winter All-Area: Meet the area's top stars in boys soccer from the 2023-24 season
TCPalm Winter All-Area: Meet the area's top stars in girls soccer from the 2023-24 season
Here are this season’s Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, All-Area teams and players who received honorable mention. Selections were made by the TCPalm sports staff based on coach nominations, total stats, average stats, accolades and overall team success.
Player of the Year
Olivia Titherington, Lincoln Park Academy
After earning a spot on the All-Area First Team a season ago, the sophomore is awarded with the winter’s highest honor this time around. She led the Greyhounds in scoring average (17.9 ppg) on 45% shooting from the field, as well as assists (5.6 apg) and steals (3.8). Titherington was a sniper from long distance as she drilled an area-best 57 3-pointers on 37% shooting. In her best performance of the season, the sophomore put up 34 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in a win against Somerset Prep.
Coach of the Year
Wendell Adams, Lincoln Park Academy
Adams guided the Greyhounds to a return to glory as the program captured its first district title since the 2020-21 season. Finishing with the area’s best FHSAA state ranking (64th), LPA won two state playoff games before falling in the regional quarterfinals. The Greyhounds racked up a 28-3 record with a point differential of plus-28.5. Midway through the season, Adams captured his 500th career win with the program.
All-Area First Team
Karolina Ramirez, Martin County
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Despite being slowed by injuries toward the end of the season, the smooth sophomore was the quarterback of an undermanned team that reached the regional semifinals for the first time in 11 seasons. Ramirez transferred from The Benjamin School to pace the Tigers in scoring (13.0 ppg) and assists (3.8 apg).
Harmoni Randolph, Fort Pierce Central
Year: Senior
Highlights: Selected to the FACA All-Star Game, the senior captain helped the Cobras double their win total from a year ago and earn a state-playoff berth as the senior was first on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg), second in assists (1.5 apg) and steals (3.4 spg) and third in rebounds (7.1 rpg). She also nailed 43 3-pointers on 45% shooting from deep. Randolph currently has an offer from St. Petersburg State and has received interest from the University of Fort Lauderdale.
Olivia Titherington, Lincoln Park Academy
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: The sophomore guard becomes the Greyhounds’ first TCPalm Player of the Year since Christen McCann in 2021.
Jailyn Williams, St. Lucie West Centennial
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: The 6-foot power forward upped her game during her second season at the varsity level. She was a force both in the paint and on the glass as she averaged a double-double at 18.8 points and snatched 11.1 rebounds per game. She surpassed her averages with a 19-point, 15-rebound effort during the Eagles’ regional quarterfinal win over West Orange. Williams scored at least 20 points on 12 occasions and went over the 20-rebound mark twice.
Becca Witt, Martin County
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: When Ramirez went down with a high ankle sprain during the District 8-6A title, this sophomore stepped up to the tune of 19 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks to lead the Tigers to their first district title in 15 years. Witt was solid throughout the season, finishing tops among the team in steals (5.0 spg) and second in scoring (12.9), rebounding (7.4 rpg) and assists (3.4).
Second Team
Lizzie Fitzwater, Jensen Beach
Jada Parson, St. Lucie West Centennial
Emily Shirk, Pine School
Alexa Titherington, Lincoln Park Academy
Aqunais West, Fort Pierce Central
Third Team
Ekklesia Anderson, Vero Beach
Juliana Ball, Lincoln Park Academy
Kayla Curry, Somerset Prep
Lovely Gabriel, Fort Pierce Central
Jakenzye McBride, St. Lucie West Centennial
Honorable Mention
Samiya Adams, Sebastian River
Danielle Bell, Jensen Beach
Anna Birmingham, Pine School
Giuliana Bonasera, Morningside Academy
Kaeley Ciceron, Somerset Prep
Reniah Flynn, Treasure Coast
Jihla Greer, Fort Pierce Westwood
Chase Nelson, St. Edward’s
Katelyn Pire, Martin County
E’Mani Pryor, Sebastian River
Justice Shanks, Okeechobee
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at (772) 985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 2023-24 TCPalm Winter All-Area: Who was the best player in girls basketball?
