High School Sports

Who are the best girls’ high school basketball players in North Carolina? Here’s our top 25

Watauga High School’s Kate Sears, a 5-foot-10 point guard, is the state’s top high school senior girls’ basketball player.

And Sears, who has signed to Virginia Tech, headlines the annual ranking of the state’s top 25 senior players. The rankings, sponsored by The Charlotte Observer and News & Observer of Raleigh, are compiled by the media company’s high school staff and N.C. girls’ basketball expert Randall Clark, a co-host of The Charlotte Observer’s “Talking Preps” streaming show.

Sears is ranked No. 72 nationally by 247 Sports and a top 15 recruit as a point guard. She chose Virginia Tech over Clemson, Kansas, Michigan and Wake Forest.

All Observer girls first team member Kate Sears of Watauga High on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
All Observer girls first team member Kate Sears of Watauga High on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

Sears had more than 40 Division I offers after leading Watauga to the N.C. 4A state semifinals last season, when she averaged 30.6 points per game, 11 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals in the postseason.

For the season, Sears averaged 23.2 points, 8.5 rebound and 6.2 assists. She was Northwestern 3A/4A conference player of the year for the third time and N.C. District 11 player of the year. She was the only junior on the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association all-state first team.

For her career, Sears has 1,851 points.

The N.C. top 25 girls’ basketball rankings

Rk.NameSchoolPos.College
1.Kate SearsWataugaPGVirginia Tech
2.Adelaide JerniganBishop McGuinness2GN.C. State
3.Kylie TorrenceWinston-Salem ChristianWBoston College
4.Caitlyn JonesRolesvillePG/SGWake Forest
5.Elle StoneMallard CreekPG/SGDelaware
6.Gabby WhiteSeaforthSGVirginia
7.Isyss StormGood Better BestWTennessee State
8.Maya McCorkleCannon SchoolWEast Tennessee State
9.Trista CharlesOak GroveFLenoir-Rhyne
10.Samathan ShehanLake NormanWKentucky Wesleyan
11.Breonna RoafTerry SanfordPGWinston-Salem State
12.Alexis ShehanLake NormanWKentucky Wesleyan
13.Alana Hankerson1 of 1 PrepPG/SGColumbus State
14.Jamyia LindseyRichmond SeniorPGN.C. A&T
15.Peyton HarveyAC ReynoldsPG/SGMars Hill
16.McKenzie GravesNorth Raleigh ChristianPGUndecided
17.Jasmine NivarApex FriendshipWUndecided
18.Addison SirianniLake NormanWChaminade
19.Alyssa Hankerson1 of 1 PrepPG/SGColumbus State
20.Abigail BrownGreen HopeFLenoir Rhyne
21.Braelyn StillwellEast BurkePGUndecided
22.Isa RomanGrace ChristianPG/SGAppalachian State
23.Ashanti FoxO’Neal SchoolWUndecided
24.Brooklyn SaundersButlerPGUndecided
25.Jodi King1 of 1 PrepFMars Hill

This story was originally published November 26, 2024 at 6:30 AM.

Langston Wertz Jr.
The Charlotte Observer
Langston Wertz Jr. is an award-winning sports journalist who has worked at the Observer since 1988. He’s covered everything from Final Fours and NFL to video games and Britney Spears. Wertz -- a West Charlotte High and UNC grad -- is the rare person who can answer “Charlotte,” when you ask, “What city are you from.” Support my work with a digital subscription
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