Find out who made The Herald’s girls’ basketball All-Area teams, honorable mentions

Going into her senior year, Aylesha Wade had already accomplished so much: She was the leading scorer in program history. She’d been named to many All-Star teams, and she’d earned multiple awards. She’d even committed to playing college basketball — at UNC Charlotte this upcoming fall.

But one thing had always eluded her: She didn’t have a state championship.

That all changed last month, though, when Wade hit the game-winning jump shot to seal Clover’s first-ever state championship.

“It hung around the rim and it fell in,” Wade told The Herald after the game, a medallion around her neck. “I couldn’t believe it.”

For this reason — and countless others — The Herald’s sports department has chosen Wade as its All-Area Player of the Year. The senior guard, who has now earned the honor three consecutive years, averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game this season. She passed the 2,000-career-point threshold in February and will likely go down as one of the best basketball players to ever wear a Clover jersey.

Of course, Wade didn’t win the 2021 championship alone, and she’ll be the first one to tell you that.

A lot of credit is due to her teammates and head coach Sherer Hopkins, who has been chosen as The Herald’s All-Area Coach of the Year. The Clover native and former Blue Eagle player guided her team to an 18-1, 8-0 record — despite facing sky-high expectations (Clover was the preseason No. 1 5A team) and despite enduring two substantial COVID-related pauses (one of which came right before the state title game).

It was an exceptional year for other programs, as well.

See The Herald’s full All-Area team selections and honorable mentions below. Season stats were provided by the area schools.

All-Area girls’ basketball team

Player of the Year: Aylesha Wade, Clover

Coach of the Year: Sherer Hopkins, Clover

First team

Jada Jones, Rock Hill: The speedy, 5-foot-6 junior point guard averaged 15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 48 steals, 4.7 assists and one block per game this season. Jones — who became the first Bearcat to notch a quadruple-double this season — was also an All-State and All-Region selection. She helped lead Rock Hill (20-3) to a Region 4-5A title and an Upper State championship appearance.

Aylesha Wade, Clover.

Janelle Carter, Clover: Carter didn’t play a conventional position, but she was great everywhere: The senior forward/wing and All-State selection averaged 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.4 steals per game — all while oftentimes being tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player.

Victoria Jordan, Catawba Ridge: Jordan has left quite the legacy on a program that is only two years old. The Catawba Ridge 6-foot senior guard/forward, who was an All-State player and Region 3-4A Player of the Year, averaged 14 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals a game this season. The Copperheads (14-3, 7-1 region) season ended with a loss to Greenville in the first round of the state playoffs.

Laila Hankerson, Rock Hill: The 5-foot-6 sophomore guard filled out an incredibly fast Rock Hill backcourt. Hankerson averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.3 steals on the season and also totaled 78 deflections. She also was named Region 4-5A Newcomer of the Year and shot 75% from the free throw line.

Second team

Carrigan McCloud, Indian Land: The sophomore guard picked up where she left off last year. McCloud, a starting guard last year for the Warriors, averaged a double-double of 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds a game for Indian Land (6-5, 4-4). She averaged two steals a game, too.

Najah Lane, South Pointe: The junior All-State and All-Region player averaged 9.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.3 steals a game this year. She helped lead her team to a Region 3-4A title and a 13-4 season that ended in the second round of the 4A state playoffs.

Tamia Watkins, Andrew Jackson: It’s wild to think that Watkins’ career is just beginning at Andrew Jackson. The 6-foot-1 eighth grader, who started on the Volunteers last year and even dropped 31 points in a 2020 playoff game, averaged 18.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game this season. She also earned All-State honors. Andrew Jackson won the Region 4-2A title but fell in the second round of the state playoffs.

Nadia Dial, Fort Mill: The 6-foot junior averaged 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game this season. Dial helped lead Fort Mill to an 8-8 finish.

La’Destiny Worthy, Clover: The Blue Eagles’ frontcourt was invaluable to their state championship run, and Worthy was the group’s anchor: The 6-foot senior forward averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season.

Honorable mentions

Trinity Adams, South Pointe: Adams will go down as South Pointe’s third-leading scorer, per head coach Stephanie Butler-Graham. The senior, who only played six games before sustaining an injury, only averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.3 assists per game. She has signed to play college basketball at Francis Marion.

Makayla Jamerson, South Pointe: The 5-foot-11 senior forward averaged 8,8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. Jamerson was another Stallion to receive Region 3-4A All-Region honors.

Makayla Adams, South Pointe: The senior and All-Region 3-4A selection averaged 8.1 points, 2.3 steals and 1.6 assists a game this season.

Taylor Stehmeier, South Pointe: The junior and All Region 3-4A selection averaged 7.7 points, two rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.7 assists a game this season.

Ashlee Creque, Rock Hill: Creque was a key piece of Rock Hill’s deep playoff run this year. The 5-foot-7 senior and All Region 4-5A selection — who was regularly tasked with guarding the other teams’ forwards — averaged 5.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.3 blocks a game this season. She also tallied 58 deflections and shot 74% from the free throw line. “Numbers will never justify what this kid meant to our team,” head coach Kenny Orr said in his nomination to The Herald. “She played bigger than she actually is.”

Gracie Wilson, Rock Hill: Wilson was Rock Hill’s “silent assassin,” per her coach: The All-Region 4-5A selection averaged 11.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 steals a game this season. She also notched 51 deflections.

Payton Brookover, Nation Ford: The Columbia College signee and 5-foot-10 senior forward averaged 12.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3.2 blocks per game this season. Nation Ford finished 6-13.

Taylor Thomas, Clover: Thomas was another key 6-foot forward for the Blue Eagles. She led the team in rebounds — with 9.7 a game — and also added 7.7 points, two assists and one steal a game.

Lauren Deal, Clover: She was Clover’s potent outside shooter: Deal averaged 8.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists ,1.7 steals per game this season.

The boys’ basketball All-Area team was published Tuesday online. The wrestling All-Area team will drop Thursday.

This story was originally published April 14, 2021 at 8:00 AM.

Alex Zietlow

The Herald

Alex Zietlow writes about sports and the ways in which they intersect with life in York, Chester and Lancaster counties for The Herald, where he has been an editor and reporter since August 2019. Zietlow has won nine S.C. Press Association awards in his career, including First Place finishes in Feature Writing, Sports Enterprise Writing and Education Beat Reporting. He also received two Top-10 awards in the 2021 APSE writing contest and was nominated for the 2022 U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Rising Star award for his coverage of the Winthrop men’s basketball team.