USA Today has announced the 2015-16 All-USA Girls Basketball team for each state in the country. The teams feature the top players of that area. For the state of Maryland, senior Kaila Charles received first team and Player of the Year honors.
The senior guard/forward averaged 22.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.2 steals per game. Charles helped Riverdale Baptist to a 36-3 record and a No. 11 ranking in the USA Today Girls Basketball Super 25. The Maryland commit also led the Crusaders to the National Association of Christian Athletes and the Dick’s National championship.
The McDonald’s All-American recorded a double-double 25 times this year. She had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the Dick’s National championship game against Ribault (FL) on April 2. Before that, Charles netted 17 points in the semifinals game against St. Francis (GA).
Charles is listed as the No. 25 player in the country by ESPN. Recently, she was named All-Met Player of the Year and selected to the All-Met First Team by the Washington Post for the second time in her high school career. She will play in the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15.
Other players that made the All-USA Maryland First Team are Lindsey Pulliam (Good Counsel), Mykea Gray (National Christian Academy), Abby Meyers (Walt Whitman) and Maddie McDaniel (Severn School). Pulliam was the co-Player of the Year in the WCAC and averaged 15.4 points per game.
St. John’s Kayla Robbins and Aisha Sheppard were named to the All-USA DC First Team while their head coach Jonathan Scribner was named Coach of the Year. The All-USA Virginia First Team featured players like senior Jasmine Whitney (Paul VI), and freshman Akunna Konkwo (Bishop Ireton). Konkwo averaged 17.5 points, and 15.4 rebounds in her first year with the Cardinals. Paul VI head coach Scott Allen was the Coach of the Year.
Here is the full list of the All-USA teams for DC, Maryland, and Virginia:
All-USA Maryland Girls Basketball Team
All-USA DC Girls Basketball Team
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