It was another great year for girls’ basketball as the area featured two teams that spent time in the top-10 state rankings in Riverside and Plymouth, which helped make this year’s Washington Daily News All-Area team a loaded one.
Both Riverside and Plymouth would split the Four Rivers Conference regular season crown this season, but it was the Knights, led by WDN Player of the Year Jalyn Brown, that would win the tournament and advance all the way to the East Regional semifinals before seeing their season come to an end.
With a deep and athletic roster, the Vikings sailed all the way to the third round of the playoffs led by the play of Desire Chesson and Kristy Gibson, but were stumped by a stellar River Mill Academy team.
Despite the graduation of Katisha Hyman, last year’s state runner up Southside remained competitive as the Seahawks inside-out tandem of Deandria Purdue and Rosiland Clark proved to be a dangerous duo.
Powered by a mix of crafty veterans and promising newcomers, Northside was able to hold its own on a nightly basis this season, while at Washington, a youthful Pam Pack team fought hard each night and showed flashes of potential for the upcoming years.

DEANDRIA PURDUE, C, SOUTHSIDE
Perhaps the best center in the area, Southside’s Deandria Purdue was a force in the paint for the Seahawks as she led the Four Rivers Conference with 12.9 rebounds per game, while scoring 9.5 points a night. A heady veteran, the senior Purdue also did a tremendous job blocking and challenging shots down low.

D’AYSA WILSON, F,RIVERSIDE
One of the most versatile, well-round players around, Riverside’s D’asya Wilson excelled at nearly every aspect of the game. The Knights junior forward averaged a double-double for the season with 10.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and excelled in Riverside’s press defense with a conference-best 5.4 steals per game.

DESIRE CHESSON, G, PLYMOUTH
With an explosive first step and a quick jumper, guard Desire Chesson provided Plymouth with steady scoring as she averaged near 17 points per game. Also a deft passer, Chesson helped the Vikings clinch a share of the Four Rivers Conference regular season title before leading them to the conference tournament championship game.

KRISTY GIBSON, PF/C, PLYMOUTH
Tall and athletic, Plymouth center Kristy Gibson was a potential matchup nightmare for any Vikings opponent this year as her versatility enabled her to score 14 points per game. Gibson’s strong rebounding and defensive prowess helped the Vikings go 21-5 this season and advance to the third round of the playoffs where they fell to eventual state runners up River Mill.
ROSILAND CLARK, PG, SOUTHSIDE
The graduation of Southside’s all-time scorer Katisha Hyman left huge shoes to fill, but Rosiland Clark did as good a job as you could ask as she led the Seahawks with 10.5 points per game. The versatile Clark also averaged 2.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals a night for the feisty Seahawks this season.

SECOND TEAM
JORDAN WOOLARD, C, NORTHSIDE
KYAJIA MOURNING, PF, SOUTHSIDE
DABRIEKA BURNETT, G, RIVERSIDE
ALEX ADAMS, SG, NORTHSIDE
SHEEMA BLOUNT, G, WASHINGTON

HONORABLE
MENTION
NORTHSIDE
Cheyenne Franks
Kelsey Lang
Caroline Slade
Kendall Alligood
Brittney Alligood

PLYMOUTH
Janezia Dixon
Shaquasia Cooper
Lashikia Bassnight
Aviyana Smallwood
Ebony Barrow
Shaniqua Davis

RIVERSIDE
Dasia Moore
Shakera Alexander
Jo’Neka Brown
T’Essence Rogers
Maria Gaddy

SOUTH CREEK
Kim Mobley
Victoria Van Nortwick
Tyshina Griffin

SOUTHSIDE
Melvisha Dudley
Taylor Stanbridge
Breonna Blango
Takeyra Harris

TEACH
Jessica Rowe
Whitney Rowe
Kasey Tooley
Caroline Gardner
Olivea Maxey
Taylor Woolard

WASHINGTON
Alana Jefferson
Erica Alligood
Lacie Anglim
Stasha Boston
Shayla Midgette
Shaneen Midgette
Shona Midgette
Kiara Smith