WOAY – USA Today announced its All-USA state basketball teams on Wednesday, with four area players named to the two West Virginia basketball teams.
Making the First Team were Greenbrier East junior Haley McClure and Wyoming East senior Emily Saunders. Saunders, who is also the Gatorade WV Girls Basketball Player of the Year and WOAY Girls Basketball Player of the Year for 2019, played at a high level consistently for the Lady Warriors, who made the Class AA state championship game for the third time in four seasons. The same can be said for McClure, who scored an average of 17 points per game as the Lady Spartans reached the Class AAA semifinals.
On the Second Team was Wyoming East senior Jazz Blankenship and Nicholas County senior Anna Hamilton. Both players joined McClure & Saunders on the All-WOAY Girls Basketball Team for 2018-19. Among the two postseason teams, Parkersburg, St. Joseph Central, George Washington, Nitro, and Frankfort were also represented. Parkersburg’s Shay-Lee Kirby was named USA Today’s WV Player of the Year.