On a weekend afternoon in Moraga, Sydney Raggio drives in the key and banks home a shot, Madeline Holland drains a three-pointer from the wing, and Myah Pace shimmies, then converts a running floater as the second quarter comes to a close. This is not a high school All-Star game from a few years ago, but a present day match-up between St. Mary’s College and the University of San Diego.
Here’s a look at top girls basketball players from the NCS or CCS in the last four graduating classes, and where they are now.
CLASS OF 2017
Iimar’I Thomas, Cincinnati (Sacred Heart Cathedral)
The former Fightin’ Irish star is shooting a remarkable 60% from the field and 93% from the charity stripe while averaging 10.9 points per game.
Myah Pace, University of San Diego (Bishop O’Dowd)
Pace has started nine games for the Toreros, playing 22 minutes and scoring just over five points a game.
Madeline Holland, St. Mary’s College (Archbishop Mitty)
Holland has started all 23 games for the Gaels, scoring 7.2 points per game with respectable shooting percentages of 46, 47, and 82 percent respectively from the field, the three-point line, and the free throw line.
CLASS OF 2016
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (Miramonte)
At the University of Oregon, Ionescu earned Freshman of the Year honors from the US Basketball Writers Association, ESPNW, and the Pac-12, then broke the NCAA record for career triple doubles just midway through this season. She’s averaging 19.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game and leading a youthful Ducks team that is ranked 6th in the country as of this writing.
Minyon Moore, USC (Salesian)
Moore has shown that relentless motor on the Trojans, averaging 13.6 points, 5.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and over 3 steals per game.
CLASS OF 2015
Sydney Raggio, St. Mary’s College (St. Ignatius)
Raggio has earned All-WCC honors of one kind or another in each of her first two years and this season is tallying 14 points on 54% shooting along with 8.7 rebounds.
Asha Thomas, Cal-Berkeley (Bishop O’Dowd)
Thomas is scoring 11 points per game for the Bears and has started every game.
CLASS OF 2014
Mariya Moore, USC (Salesian)
Moore was a three-year starter at Louisville, where she earned multiple honors and averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game over that span. She finished in the top 13 all-time in points, assists, three’s, and free throws. She then transferred to USC and after sitting out this season due to transfer rules will join little sister Minyon on the court in 2018-19.
Natalie Romeo, Washington (Carondelet)
Romeo attended Nebraska, where as a sophomore she set the Cornhusker single-season three-point record, averaged 16 points, and was named to the All-Big 10 Second Team. She transferred to Washington and averaged 9.3 points in 33 minutes per game. Unfortunately, she hasn’t played this season due to injury.
Kelli Hayes, UCLA (Archbishop Mitty)
Hayes became a starter her junior season. She’s never come close to matching the numbers she put up at Mitty, but she does register about 25 minutes per game for the #9 team in the nation.
Mikayla Cowling, Cal-Berkeley (St. Mary’s)
Cowling picked up an All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention, and defensively as well, in 2017. She’s starting on the #25 team in the country, tallying 8.7 points and 4.1 boards per game.
Gabby Green, LMU (St. Mary’s)
After two years playing for Cal, in which she made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and then, as a sophomore, the Pac 12 Honorable Mention All-Defensive Team, she transferred to Loyola Marymount, where she averages 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
Other notables
Sonoma State features Ugochi Anudokem (Homestead ’16), with averages of 13.5 points on over 50% shooting along with 7.5 rebounds per game; Madison Burroughs (Monte Vista ‘14) and Carly Gill (Miramonte ‘14), each averaging about 10 points per game; 2015 grads Jessica Mitz (Valley Christian), Kim Savio (Carondelet), and Taylor Todd (Mitty); and Sam Erisman (Menlo ’17).
St. Mary’s College has a trio of 2017 grads – Emily Codding (Santa Rosa), Bri Simonich (Carondelet), and Morgan Malloy (Justin-Siena) – in addition to Katie Rathbun (Carondelet ’15).
Michaela Vanderklugt (Carondelet ’17) leads Concordia-Irvine in scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg).
Quinci Mann (St. Ignatius ’14) and Hailey Pascoe (Clayton Valley ’15) have experienced different fortunes for Lehigh. Mann is the team’s leading scorer at 14.5 points per game, her third straight year of double digits, while Pascoe, after a couple of years off the bench, suffered a torn ACL prior to her junior campaign.
Destiny Graham (Eastside Prep ‘15) starts for Arizona, registering 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Morgan Bertsch (Santa Rosa ’14) stars for UC Davis, averaging a team-high 19.8 points per game on 55% shooting. Teammate Nina Bessolo (Castro Valley ’16) scores six per game off the bench.
Mariah Seals (Miramonte ’14) is a four-year and double-digit scorer for Utah Valley, contributing 13.6 points per game this season.
Mackenzie Cast (Carondelet) and Bree Alford (Miramonte), both ’14 grads, combine for about 17 points per game for LMU.
Savannah Scott (Westmont ’14) and Zoe Correal (Salesian ’14) play for Northern Colorado and Colorado respectively, with Scott averaging 16.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Ayzhiana Basallo (St. Ignatius) scores 8.2 points per game for Cal Poly.
Dominican University features Natalie Diaz (Soquel ’15), who averages a sizzling 24.4 points per game, as well as reserves Marisa Mondave (Piedmont Hills ’16), Vanessa Cruz (Carondelet ’16), and Edina del Rosario (Sacred Heart Cathedral ’17).
Kian McNair (Salesian ’15) and Yazmeen Goo (Westmoor ’15) combine for 14 points per game for Alaska-Anchorage.
A’shanti Coleman (Sacred Heart Cathedral ’15) played minimally for Arizona as a freshman, and is now a red-shirt sophomore averaging 6.5 points per game off the bench along with Hailey Vice-Neat (Cardinal Newman '17) for Boise State.
Hailey's fellow grad at Newman, Lauren Walker, fights for minutes at the University of Portland. Ditto for Heleyna Hill (Mitty ’17) at San Jose State, Josie Little (St. Ignatius ’15) at Columbia, Mo Mosley (St. Mary’s ’15) at Cal, Delayney Sparling (Heritage ’16) at Southern Oregon, and Miramonte duo Keanna Delos Santos (’16) and Uriah Howard (’16) at Utah Valley and Eastern Washington, respectively.
