Basketball has Charlotte buzzing. With NBA All-Star festivities filling the streets, high school and college ball in full-swing, hoops are everywhere. Here are a few dates to keep in mind about the women’s game.
High school notes:
Providence Day School won the 3A North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association title for eight consecutive seasons, until last year’s campaign saw them knocked out in the semifinals by Rabun Gap School. The NCISAA basketball final is set for Feb. 23.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Championship takes place on March 16. Myers Park is the last Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools team to claim the state title. Their 2014 and 2015 championship wins also mark the only ones in program history. Several players from that those championship winning side are now seniors in college. Here are a few to keep an eye on before the college final on April 7, which will be followed by the WNBA Draft later that month (date TBA).
Schools in the Top 12 of the Associated Press’ Poll:
Rydeiah (DD) Rogers
A senior forward at North Carolina State, Rogers has started every game thus far for the No. 12 ranked Wolfpack (22-2). She averages 5.3 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game, shooting 52.3 percent from the field.
Rogers grew up around basketball. Her older sister, Roddreka Rogers played college ball at Georgia Tech, and now works as an assistant coach at South Carolina State. Her father, Rodney Rogers played in the NBA from 1993-2005. He was paralyzed in a dirt bike accident in 2008.
Jatarie White
She won four state titles with Providence Day. Now the senior forward/center plays for No. 15 Texas (20-5), after spending her first two seasons at South Carolina. She averages 10.7 points per game and 5.7 boards per game, shooting 53.2 percent from the field.
Southern California Trojans:
Aliyah Mazyck
She did not make a three in the 2015 state championship game for Myers Park, but she holds the Trojans’ single-season record for threes: 86. The senior guard has made 33 thus far this season, shooting 28.2 percent from beyond the arc and 36.7 percent from the field. She averages 14.1 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game for the 14-9 Trojans.
WNBA Dates:
The regular season opens on May 24, and ends on Sept. 8, with the All-Star game heading to Las Vegas on July 27.
