By TIM STEPHENS, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON — Dionna Gray can pack another honor into her suitcase before she heads off to play at Kent State University.
The Huntington High School senior guard on Wednesday was named the captain of the West Virginia Class AAAA girls all-state basketball team as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
The 5-foot-4 guard averaged 21.7 points, 7.3 assists, 5.8 steals and 5.1 rebounds per game last season to lead the Highlanders to a 24-1 record and a second consecutive state championship.
“Dionna is a super quick point guard and excellent verbal leader,” Kent State coach Todd Starkey said of Gray, the state Gatorade player of the year. “She is a relentless competitor with the ability to be a disrupter on the defensive end. Offensively, Dionna has the ability to score on all three levels.”
Huntington coach Lonnie Lucas has coached dozens of college players and four state championship teams. He said Gray, the daughter of former Marshall University men’s point guard Chris Gray, ranks among the better he’s had in 54 years on the sideline.
“She’s full of energy,” Lucas said of Gray. “She never has a down moment, despite the score. She’s very positive.”
As great as she is, Gray said she is far from the player she wants to be.
“I’ve worked a lot on my floater game and getting my release quicker,” Gray said. “Shooting. My all around game. I’m just trying to improve every aspect of my game.”
Gray’s teammate, 5-11 center Imani Hickman, joined her on the first team. The Alderson Broaddus signee averaged 9.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 1.8 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game.
Cabell Midland junior Jayda Allie made the first unit after averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game to lead the Knights to the state semifinals.
Also named to the first team were freshman Alexis Bordas of Wheeling Park, Morgantown sophomore Sofia Wassick, Capital senior Taleyan Boxley Buckhannon-Upshur senior Shelby McDaniels and Bridgeport junior Gabby Reep. Bordas averaged 21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals. She scored 50 points against Parkersburg South. Wassick scored 9.5 points per contest to go with 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds. Boxley scored 13.7 points and pulled down 10.2 rebounds a game. McDaniels averaged 16 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game. Reep averaged 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals.
Junior Cadence Stewart of Greenbrier East captained the second team, which included Cabell Midland junior Jazmyn Wheeler, George Washington sophomore Finley Lohan, Parkersburg junior Brilynn Florence, Wheeling Park freshman LaLa Woods, Parkersburg South senior Skylar Bosley, Spring Mills freshman Kilah Dandridge and Morgantown sophomore Lily Jordan.
The 2022 Class AAAA Girls Basketball All-State Team as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association
First Team
Dionna Gray, Sr. Huntington, SR (captain)
Alexis Bordas, Wheeling Park, FR
Imani Hickman, Huntington, SR
Sofia Wassick, Morgantown, SO
Jayda Allie, Cabell Midland, JR
Taleyan Boxley, Capital, SR
Gabby Reep, Bridgeport, JR
Shelby McDaniels, Buckhannon-Upshur SR
Second team
Finley Lohan, George Washington, SO
Cadence Stewart, Greenbrier East, JR (captain)
Briylnn Florence, Parkersburg, JR
Jazmyn Wheeler, Cabell Midland, JR
LaLa Woods, Wheeling Park, FR
Skylar Bosley, Parkersburg South, SR
Kilah Dandridge, Spring Mills, FR
Lily Jordan, Morgantown, SO
Honorable Mention
Emily Anderson, Bridgeport; Hallie Bailey, Spring Valley; Trinity Balog, Parkersburg; Lindsay Bechtel, Morgantown; Kaitlyn Blake, John Marshall; Ava Bolen, Brooke; Sadie Boggess, Princeton; Olivia Bolduc, Spring Mills; Mackenzie Brezovec, Jefferson; Kyra Brown, Capital; Kendal Currence, Buckhannon-Upshur; Allie Daniels, Spring Valley; Natalie Daugherty, Wheeling Park; Brooke Davis, Greenbrier East; Abby Dillon, Woodrow Wilson; Lauren Dye, Hurricane; Corin Edsell, Spring Mills; Alaira Evans, George Washington; Kaila Fitzpatrick, Musselman; Catherine Hunnell, John Marshall; Amara Jackson, Huntington; Sadaya Jones, Morgantown; Justus Lee, Jefferson; Avery Lucas, Lincoln County; Samiah Lynch, Oak Hill; Olivia Mayer, Martinsburg; Alanna McKenzie, Riverside; Shayla Montgomery, St. Albans; Haven Murray, Jefferson; Kelly Ours, Hedgesville; Dria Parker, Spring Valley; Samyah Riggin, St. Albans; Mary Rivera, Washington; Kisten Roberts, Parkersburg; Natalyia Sayles, Capital; Carsynn Sines, Preston; Natalie Smith, South Charleston; Hannah Stemple, University; Maddie Stull, Princeton; Daisha Summers, Greenbrier East; Jada Turner, Huntington; Hannah Wingrove, Parkersburg South; Olivia Ziolkowski, Woodrow Wilson
