Bee’s Best: Breaking down Player of the Year candidates for Sacramento-area girls basketball
It doesn’t matter that Lauren Harris plays for a small Division VI school in Yuba City. Her game would translate at any level.
The Faith Christian High School junior guard has a complete skill set on both ends of the floor for one of the best small-school programs in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. The 5-foot-11 Harris pulls down nearly 14 rebounds per game to go along with 3.2 steals and 2.2 blocks on the defensive end. But the most eye-popping aspect of her game is what she does with the basketball in her hands.
She’s fully capable of breaking down defenders off the dribble for a layup, but her specialty is finding her spot outside the arc and putting her elite 3-point shooting on display. Harris leads the section in scoring at 29.0 points and leads with more than 130 3-pointers in just 24 games. She also has the rare distinction of being the section’s leader in scoring and assists (she hands out 7.2 per game) for Faith Christian, which entered the week at 22-2 and a favorite to claim a section crown later this month at Golden 1 Center.
Harris’ sister, Audrey, was a two-time Bee Smallest School Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022 before Lauren arrived on campus. As a junior, Audrey posted a national best 46.3 points per game, along with 15.4 rebounds. Lauren followed in her big sister’s footsteps and was last year’s Bee Smallest School Player of the Year. Lauren has since broken Audrey’s school record for career points with more than 2,200 and counting.
During the 2022-23 season, when Lauren was a freshman and Audrey a senior, the two combined for 41.8 points, 20.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists — and helped Faith Christian win its first section crown. The Lions fell short of a repeat last year, falling to Sacramento Adventist in the D-VI finals, a moment that fuels Harris and the Lions.
“That’s been on my mind for almost a year now, and I don’t want to lose ever again,” Harris said. “That’s my mindset. Just go out, do whatever I can to win. If I need to pass, I’ll pass. If I need to shoot, I’ll shoot, rebound, anything. As long as we get the win.”
Some teams have tried to pick Harris up defensively at half court to prevent the outside shot. But it hasn’t slowed her. With more than 400 career 3-pointers, she’s already closing in on the all-time California record. According to CalHi Sports, the all-time girls record in the Golden State is held by Jessica Grant of Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, who from 2019 to 2022 nailed 486 triples in 118 career games. Harris’ 441 have come in just 84 games through the brunt of her junior season.
“I think this is the most fun I’ve had playing basketball on this team so far,” Harris said. “Hopefully, we’ll see you at the Golden 1 Center.”
Player of the Year candidates
With the section playoffs starting Monday, The Sacramento Bee looks toward the players who at the end of the season could be named All-Metro Player of the Year. With so many names to consider — including the aforementioned Harris of Faith Christian — playoff success will be a crucial factor in the decision.
Here are a handful of names that have stood out as leading candidates.
Nina Cain, McClatchy
The future Washington Husky is the reigning Bee Player of the Year and is averaging 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in her encore campaign. Cain led McClatchy to the Division I Northern California semifinals last season and has the Lions looking even better this year, aiming to end her stellar four-year varsity career with a section championship.
Ava Rawlins, Folsom
The UC Santa Barbara commit has dictated the tempo from the point guard position for The Bee’s top-ranked team. Rawlins missed a great chunk of her sophomore and junior years with injuries but is back healthy and dazzling with elite playmaking skills.
Sophia Mindermann, Folsom
Two Bulldogs? Yes. Mindermann is a pure shooter committed to the University of the Pacific in Stockton. Folsom has been in the section finals every year she has been on varsity, winning it all in 2023.
Aleyah Harmon, Christian Brothers
She is the heart and soul of the Falcons, who look like a legitimate contender for the D-III section crown. The Cal Baptist commit averages 12.3 points and 5.7 assists, which is tied for third in the section.
Haley Smith, Liberty Ranch
The Hawks junior just became the school’s all-time leading scorer in what is already a decorated career. She’s averaging 19.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.7 steals for a Liberty Ranch team that carried a 22-game winning streak into this week.
Londyn Odom, Antelope
The phenomenal freshman is the next star for a storied Antelope program. The young forward with guard skills leads the Titans with 16.1 points per game.
Bella Von Seipler, Del Oro
The engine of the Golden Eagles has Del Oro with its best league showing in a decade. The University of San Diego commit averages 15.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.7 steals and looks to have Del Oro compete for its first section crown since 1999.
Calonni Holloway, Vanden
Already a two-time section champion, Holloway has been in the section finals in all three of her previous seasons. She leads the Monticello Empire League champion Vikings at 13.7 points with 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
Jamiah Fontenberry, Inderkum
Known as “Boss” by her teammates, the Sacramento State commit is averaging 18.2 points and is playing her best ball down the final stretch of the year for the Tigers. She has a teammate in Breahn Flood who is also in this mix, averaging 13.4 points with 219 career made 3-pointers.
Juliette James, Colfax
Colfax’s Kaia Diederichs won The Bee’s Small School Player of the Year last year and is also still in the mix for this year. But James stands tall as the Falcons’ leading scorer and rebounder at 12.3 points and 9.1 boards. The Chico State commit has helped Colfax reach the CIF State finals in each of the past two years.
Brooklynn Nordquist and Casey Dreiling, Ponderosa
The senior combo has been nearly identical statistically. They combine for 29.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 6.3 steals for the 23-3 Bruins. Nordquist was The Bee’s Flag Football Player of the Year in the fall.
Asia Washington, Grant
The only sophomore on this list averages 17.0 points and 12.6 rebounds for the storied Pacers. If she keeps pace, she’ll have more than 1,000 points and rebounds before her junior year is done next year.
Nick Pecoraro is a sports journalist and host of “Premier Preps with Nick Pecoraro,” a weekly prep show available on YouTube that recaps games and teams in the Sacramento area each week. Find it at youtube.com/@PremierPreps.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 12:37 PM.