Bee’s Best: Breaking down top Sacramento-area high school girls basketball underclassmen
It takes a variety of components to build a championship team in high school basketball.
Senior experience is always key. Nothing can substitute for varsity experience that 11th- or 12th-graders provide, especially during the long stretch of league races and playoff pushes.
But there are some teams fortunate enough to have the luxury of a well-equipped underclassman or two to help contribute. It’s a bonus for coaches to have a freshman or sophomore wise enough beyond their years to play key minutes for contending programs, and history has shown of the decades in the Sacramento region that impact freshmen and sophomores can turn into four-year varsity players.
Some have gone on to accept scholarships to big-name college basketball programs, including Denise Curry in the late 1970s from Davis High to UCLA — the region’s first great star and first prep girls All-American for any sport.
Others of note who were four-year prep anchors, starting as freshmen, starring as sophomores and then excelling the rest of the way include in earning Bee Player of the Year honors at some point:
▪ Karen Smith of Rio Americano in the late 1970s, who went to Cal.
▪ Kellie Cook of Nevada Union fame in the early 1990s, who went to Northwestern.
▪ Vicki Baugh of Sacramento High, who attracted national recruiters to her Oak Park campus in 2006 and 2007 and went to Tennessee.
▪ Anna James of Oak Ridge, who led the Trojans to the CIF State Division I championship in 2010 and then went to Stanford.
▪ McKenzie Forbes of Folsom, who elevated the program to record heights, made the McDonald’s All-American team in 2018 and is now playing professionally overseas.
▪ Jzaniya Harriel of Antelope, a three-time Bee Player of the Year who is now at Stanford.
▪ Harper Peterson of Whitney, a three-time Bee All-Metro honoree now in her freshman season at Stanford.
▪ Nina Cain of McClatchy, last season’s Bee Player of the Year who is now a senior.
Here’s a quick look at some of the best freshmen and sophomores (in alphabetical order) on the girls varsity basketball rosters in the Sacramento region.
Super Sophs
Kamrynn Blevins, Liberty Ranch
The Hawks entered the week having won 18 straight games, and the 5-foot-4 sophomore is a big reason why, filling up the stat sheets at 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals. She recently posted a triple-double against Bradshaw Christian with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
Brookelyn Dunkle and Breely Shriver, Placer
The Hillgals have had a resurgent season with Dunkle and Shriver leading the charge as versatile players who can handle the ball, score and defend. They’ve often been the top two leading scorers for Placer, which hasn’t seen this type of season since 2019–20.
Addison Carpenter, Twelve Bridges
Already becoming one of the early program greats for the Rhinos with the ability to muscle inside or hit jumpers. She led Twelve Bridges as a freshman with 9.5 points and 7.4 rebounds and continues to do so as a sophomore with 10.1 and 8.9, respectively.
Kyla Friedrich, Sac Adventist
The guard/wing contributed to the Capitals’ CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship squad a year ago and currently posts 10.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.9 steals per game for a team seeking a Division 6 repeat.
Loismary Justice, West Campus
Has followed up a tremendous freshman season for the Sacramento City Unified School District program with an even better sophomore campaign as the post is averaging 19.3 points and 10.8 rebounds. She is looking to help the Warriors keep intact an active streak of 14 years with a league championship.
Avery Masters, Folsom
The 6-foot-1 post has been sidelined for most of the season with an injury, but when healthy, Masters has some of the best footwork in the paint. A star volleyball player as well at Folsom, Masters has offers from multiple Power 5 and Ivy League schools.
Gisele Negueloua, Rocklin
Good for 11.5 points per game, the forward rebounds well (6.6) for her 5-foot-7 height, Negueloua emerged as one of the leaders for a young Thunder program.
Olivia Novi, Christian Brothers
The sharpshooting guard leads the Falcons in scoring at 14.9 points per game. Already with more than 150 career 3-pointers, Novi has established herself as one of the best shooters in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section.
Tayli Paeu-Lindgren, St. Francis
The 6-foot post is double-double machine, averaging 13.2 points and 13.0 rebounds for the Troubadours, who compete in the ultra-competitive Sierra Foothill League.
Gabby Sams, Bear River
The forward played big crunch time minutes in the Bruins section championship win at UC Davis as a freshman, the 12th such championship for the storied program, and she has Bear River in the mix to defend its D-V title.
Siena Sorbello, Woodland Christian
The 6-foot post is second on the Cardinals in scoring (12.3) and rebounds (6.3). Woodland Christian entered this week on a 15-game win streak.
Asia Washington, Grant
Whether blowing kisses to teammates who find her on assists or leading the dance party after victories, the joy for the game is apparent with Washington, a 6-foot post and the next big name player for a program that has produced bus loads of them since the early 1980s. She grabbed 18 rebounds in her first career varsity game and hasn’t slowed down. She’s currently averaging 17.1 points and 12.5 rebounds for the Pacers, who are never an easy out, and is also tied for fourth in the section in double-doubles.
Journey Williams, Christian Brothers
Williams is perhaps the biggest post presence for the Falcons, averaging 8.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for one of the legitimate candidates for a section title this season.
The Fab Frosh
Aniyah Bruhn, Inderkum
There are good genes in this family. Her cousin is Woodland Christian scoring sensation, Romello Bruhn, who recently eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for his career. Aniyah Bruhn is not afraid to knock down the three ball. She opened her high school career with 14 points in a win against Rocklin.
Taylor Butler, Lincoln
The forward/post leads the Fighting Zebras with 16.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game. She also hits 57% of her field goals.
Lorelei Nachman, Davis
Never mind the 5-foot-4 frame. She plays beyond her years and can get buckets. As the Blue Devils’ point guard, she scores 14.9 points per game and is tied for fourth-most 3-pointers in the state among freshmen with 53.
Londyn Odom, Antelope
Longtime head coach Sean Chambers has had some superstar players in his tenure with the Titans, and he is extremely high on Odom, a big with a guard’s skills. Currently averaging 16.1 points, Odom can score inside and out and has a nose for the ball off of missed shots. Chambers calls Odom the area’s second best player behind McClatchy senior star Nina Cain.
Elena Vizcay, Vacaville Christian
The guard/forward leads all Sac-Joaquin Section freshmen in scoring at 17.9 points and 7.7 steals per game. Recently posted a triple-double against Golden Sierra with totals of 22 points, 16 rebounds and 18 steals.
Saniah Wiley and Brooklin Kimmons, Sheldon
A dynamic duo that has been the 1-2 punch for the Huskies this season in leading the way with versatility and effort. Wiley (16.2 points per game) and Kimmons (14.6) have led Sheldon to its most wins in a season since 2019–20, and there’s still plenty of season left.
▪ Who’d we miss?: Email us at jdavidson@sacbee.com with a freshman or sophomore varsity girls basketball starter from the Sacramento region who has made an impact on her team.