April is Girls Sports Month, and as part of USA TODAY High School Sports’ fourth-annual Girls Sports Month celebration, we’re speaking with some of the most influential female athletes, coaches and celebrities in the sports world. We will also be highlighting some of the best stories from the past year as well as featuring some of the trailblazers.
With the first pick in the WNBA Draft, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackie Young.
After three straight years of No. 1 picks, they’re hoping she can be the final key to turning the team into a winning organization.
Luckily for the Aces, she’s been doing that her entire career.
At Princeton Community High School (Ind.), Young was an ALL-USA First-Team member in 2016.
She set the Indiana record for most points in a career – regardless of gender – with 3,268 points. PCHS went 97-9 over her four-year career.
Then, in college, she helped Notre Dame win the championship in 2018 and return to it in 2019.
Young isn’t the only former high school star to make the team. Here are some other highly-decorated athletes:
Asia Durr, No. 2 overall
At St. Pius X (Atlanta), Durr was a two-time ALL-USA player, making the 2014 list and the 2015 First Team. She won back-to-back championships and her career points total of 2,764 is a school record for girls or boys.
Katie Lou Samuelson, No. 4 overall
Perhaps the player with the most individual accolades in the draft, Samuelson is a 2014 and 2015 ALL-USA athlete and was named the 2015 ALL-USA Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She won three Trinity League championships with Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).
Arike Ogunbowale, No. 5 overall
A member of the 2015 ALL-USA Second Team, Ogunbowale led Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee, Wis.) to a state championship senior year and was a four-time Wisconsin First Team member.
Napheesa Collier, No. 6 overall
With three championships for Incarnate Word (Bel-Nor, Miss.) and three Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year titles under Collier’s belt, she was a 2015 ALL-USA First Team member.
Kalani Brown, No. 7 overall
Brown played in all four championship games at Salmen (Slidell, La.), winning two of them. She joins Collier, Durr, and Samuelson as 2015 ALL-USA First Team members to be selected in the top-7 of the 2019 WNBA Draft.
Kristine Anigwe, No. 9 overall
A 2015 Second Team member, Anigwe played on the undefeated 2014 USA Basketball U17 team and averaged a double-double while adding 1.9 steals and 2.7 blocks apiece on defense for Desert Vista (Phoenix).
Brianna Turner, No. 11 overall
Turner started every game of her four-year high school career, winning two state championships and leading Manvel (Texas) to a 143-10 record over that span. She was on the 2014 ALL-USA Team.
Marina Mabrey, No. 19 overall
Mabrey, who played sophomore year at Point Pleasant Beach (N.J.) and the other three years at Manasquan (N.J.), went 115-12 with four NJSIAA championships and two Tournament of Championship titles. She was a 2015 Second Team member.
Kenisha Bell, No. 30 overall
A 2014 ALL-USA player, Bell led Bloomington Kennedy High School (Minn.) to a state championship appearance while averaging 20.5 points per game her senior year.