Meet the All-Observer girls’ basketball team, the top prep athletes in the Charlotte area
Stuart Cramer High School’s Oshauna Holland, who scored 49 points in the N.C. 3A state championship game, headlines the 2024-25 All-Observer girls’ basketball team.
The 30-member team includes the top 20 players in The Observer’s coverage area in addition to five-person all-defensive and all-freshman teams.
The All-Observer teams include NCHSAA and NCISAA players from Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties, and were selected by The Observer’s high school staff along with N.C. basketball experts Rick Lewis and Randall Clark, who are co-hosts of the media company’s “Talking Preps” streaming show.
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▪ Holland won player of the year after averaging 28.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 5.3 steals per game. She led her team to a 29-3 record and its first appearance in the N.C. 3A state championship game. In a 76-58 loss to Western Alamance in the finals, Holland scored 49 points — the 12th most ever by an N.C. public school girl.
The Observer has named the All-Observer regional award since the 1997-98 season. Previously it divided awards for the best in Mecklenburg County (All-Mecklenburg) and the best in the region (All-Piedmont or All-Region).
Two people share the coach of the year award:
▪ Lake Norman’s McKenzie Graham, whose team lost in the 2023 state championship game, won the 2025 4A title in dramatic fashion. The Wildcats beat Raleigh’s Wakefield High 43-41 when Riyana Minard hit a layup just before the buzzer.
Lake Norman finished 30-1 and didn’t lose to a team from North Carolina all season. The Wildcats ended their season on a 22-game win streak. For its efforts, Lake Norman won its first girls Sweet 16 banner, matching one the boys team got after the 2009-10 season, when Lake Norman beat previously unbeaten Sanford High School of Fayetteville to win the school’s first boys state title.
▪ Queen’s Grant first-year coach Kendria Holmes shares coach of the year with Graham.
Holmes led her team to a 22-5 record and an appearance in the third round of the NCHSAA playoffs. Queen’s Grant was 0-17 in the 2023-24 season. Since going 15-7 in the 2012-13 season, the Stallions have had five winless seasons plus three additional seasons with three wins or less.
As a 5-5 high school guard, Holmes led Charlotte’s Victory Christian to multiple state championships and then played in college at Providence, where she made the All-Big East freshman team. She later transferred to Charlotte and played several seasons with the 49ers.
Note: This was one of the highest-scoring All-Observer girls’ basketball teams in history. Five players on the team ranked among the top 50 in scoring nationally.
Bessemer City’s Tionna Pettus (40.9 points per game) is No. 2. Monroe freshman Janiyah Boyd (32.0) is 12th. Porter Ridge’s Ashanti Taylor (31.1) is 15th. Queen’s Grant freshman Za’Miya Bynum (31.0) is 18th. And Holland is 35th.
Pettus, Boyd, Bynum and Taylor all rank top six, all-time, in N.C. public school history for scoring averages in a single-season.
All-Observer first team
Za’Miya Bynum, Queen’s Grant, 5-9, Fr, G: Bynum was No. 2 nationally in scoring among freshman behind Monroe’s Boyd. She averaged 31 points, 7.5 steals, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and two blocks per game, helping her team to its first winning season in more than a decade.
Madison Drayton, Cannon School, 5-11, Soph, G: The best player on the two-time NCISAA state champion, Drayton averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.1 assists. Cannon finished 26-7.
Oshauna Holland, Stuart Cramer, 5-8, Jr, G: Holland led her team to its first NCHSAA state final and averaged 28.7 ponts, 8.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists. For her career, Holland is averaging 25 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.8 steals and 5.6 assists.
Lenise Joseph, North Mecklenburg, 6-0, Soph, C: Joseph led her team to a share of the Queen City 3A/4A regular-season championship and boosted her scoring average from 16 points as a freshman to 21.7 as a sophomore. She also averaged 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 3.2 steals this season.
Tionna Pettus, Bessemer City, 5-10, Sr, F: Pettus led the nation in scoring at times this season and ended up No. 2. She averaged 40.9 points, 14.1 rebounds, 10.5 steals and 4.1 blocks per game. Her 65 points in a game set a new single-game record for public school students and tied former Providence Day star Konecka Drakeford for the overall N.C. record. Her unofficial total of 1,104 points would rank fifth in N.C. history. Her scoring average shatters the old public school record of 33 set by Terry Sanford’s Shea Ralph, who later starred at UConn and now coaches at Vanderbilt.
All-Observer second team
Justice Alexander, Concord Academy, 6-1, Fr, G
Kiara Anderson, Mallard Creek, 5-4, Jr., PG
Amya Graham, South Point, 6-0, Sr, PF
Camri Hobbs, JM Robinson, 6-3, Jr., PG
Ashanti Taylor, Porter Ridge, 5-10, Soph, CG
All-Observer honorable mention
Happy Arune, Gaston Christian, 6-7, Jr, C
Amari Barner, Myers Park, 5-9, Soph, G
Janiyah Boyd, Monroe, 5-4, Fr, G
Misa Garris, Queen’s Grant, 5-5, Jr, G
Emma Montanari, East Lincoln, 5-9, Jr, G
Brooklyn Saunders, Butler, 5-6, Sr, G
Kate Schindler, Marvin Ridge, 6-0, Jr, G
Samantha Shehan, Lake Norman, 6-0, Sr, G
Elle Stone, Mallard Creek, 5-9, Sr, G
Brooklyn Swann, Hunter Huss, 5-10, Sr, W
All-Observer defensive team
Kiara Anderson, Mallard Creek, 5-4, Jr., PG
Nykira Arrington, South Mecklenburg, 6-1, Jr, C
Misa Garris, Queen’s Grant, 5-5, Jr, G
Brooklyn Saunders, Butler, 5-6, Sr, G
Addison Sirianni, Lake Norman, 5-7, Sr., G
Defensive player of the year: Brooklyn Saunders, Butler
All-Observer freshman team
Justice Alexander, Concord Academy, 6-1, G
Janiyah Boyd, Monroe, 5-4, G
Za’Miya Bynum, Queen’s Grant, 5-9, G
Lauren Feaster, Hickory Grove, 5-8, G/F
Jakyra Sadler, Ashbrook, 5-5, G
Freshman of the year: Zi’Miya Bynum, Queen’s Grant
Previous players, coaches of the year
Year, player, coach
2023-24: Blanca Thomas (Charlotte Catholic); Kory Bridges (Country Day)
2022-23: Kirsten Lewis-Williams (Lake Norman); Ashley Poole (West Rowan)
2021-22: Blanca Thomas (Charlotte Catholic); Donnell Rhyne (Chambers)
2020-21: Reigan Richardson (Cannon School); Donnell Rhyne (Vance)
2019-20: Chyna Cornwell (Newton-Conover); Donnell Rhyne (Vance)
2018-19: Nia Daniel (Hickory Ridge); Clarence Johnson (Mallard Creek)
2017-18: Ahlana Smith (Mallard Creek); Clarence Johnson (Mallard Creek)
2016-17: Janelle Bailey (Providence Day); Josh Springer (Providence Day)
2015-16: Erin Whalen (Providence Day); Josh Springer (Providence Day)
2014-15: Aliyah Mazyck, Myers Park and Stephanie Watts, Weddington; Barbara Nelson (Myers Park)
2013-14: DD Rogers (Myers Park) and Jatarie White (Providence Day); Barbara Nelson (Myers Park)
2012-13: Jatarie White (Providence Day); Ina Thompson (Porter Ridge)
2011-12: Tiffany Mitchell (Providence Day); Anthony Jones (Harding)
2010-11: Cierra Burdick (Butler): Chris McNeil (Salisbury)
2009-10: Cierra Burdick (Butler); Stephanie Butler (Butler)
2008-09: Christal Caldwell (West Charlotte); Reggie Mobley (West Charlotte)
2007-08: Christal Caldwell (West Charlotte); Angela Morton (Concord)
2006-07: Tiffany Whiting, South Iredell; Barbara Nelson (Providence Day)
2005-06: Joy Cheek (South Meck); Troy Gaston (South Meck)
2004-05: Joy Cheek (South Meck); Larry Ross (East Rutherford)
2003-04: Kyria Buford (Victory Christian); Jennifer Shoaf (Salisbury)
2002-03: Ivory Latta (York, S.C.); Gary Richmond (Vance)
2001-02: Ivory Latta (York, S.C.); Jamie Smith (Freedom)
2000-01: Natasha Brackett (Providence Day); Barbara Nelson (Providence Day)
1999-00: Natasha Brackett (Providence Day); Bob Angley (Charlotte Christian)
1998-99: Alicia Abernathy (Hickory); David Elder (Hickory)
1997-98: Alicia Abernathy (Hickory); David Elder (Hickory)
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 6:30 AM.
