With the star power and talent of athletes such as Caitlyn Clark and Baltimore native and former University of Maryland player Angel Reese, there has been increased attention on women’s NCAA basketball, and the DMV has officially become a hotbed for national recruiters.
Several players from the DMV area helped their teams reach this year’s NCAA women’s basketball Sweet 16. Further, University of Connecticut (UConn) freshmen Qadence Samuels (Bishop McNamara), UConn junior Azzi Fudd (St. John’s), North Carolina State graduate student Mimi Collins (Paul VI), and University of South Carolina freshman Sahnya Jah (Bishop McNamara) were all in the Final Four.
“The talent has always been there,” said Christy Winters-Scott, who started as a standout player at South Lakes High School in Fairfax, Virginia, before going to the University of Maryland and helping lead her team to the Final 4.
“I’ve always known that this area has great talent. With the things that are now happening with the game, people are beginning to realize it,” said Winters-Scott, a former college coach, whose daughter Brianna Scott plays for Georgetown’s women’s program and son Jordan Scott is a junior standout at South Lakes High School.
Jonathan Scribner, the celebrated coach of St. John’s College High School’s girls basketball team, also said the DMV has long been home to local talent.
“I would argue that [local women’s basketball talent] is not new,” said Scribner, whose team was again ranked in the Top 20 this year. “I think that the recent rise of women’s basketball and March Madness has certainly played a part… They are motivated to work on their games more and the commitment level has grown.”