Meet the 2023 AL.com All-Tennessee Valley girls basketball team
Record-setting Hazel Green won a championship while seven other teams reached at least the regional final in Tennessee Valley area basketball this season.
Hazel Green broke two AHSAA records this season, winning 87 straight games over multiple seasons and earning its sixth straight basketball championship, a feat accomplished by no other AHSAA boys or girls team.
The Trojans have reached seven straight Class 6A title games, losing the 2017 championship to Homewood. Hazel Green also captured championships in 1976 and 1995 and won eight of 10 title-game appearances.
Class 7A Sparkman, Class 5A Arab, Class 4A Priceville and Class 3A Clements all reached championship games before losing while New Hope earned a spot in the Class 4A Final Four. Class 7A Bob Jones and Class 1A Skyline each reached a regional final.
Players to the AL.com All-Tennessee Valley basketball team were selected to first, second and third teams and honorable mention along with a Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year.
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The All-Tennessee Valley girls team is compiled through voting from area coaches, AL.com staff insights and opinions of experts in the area. It includes players from Jefferson and Shelby counties.
Here are the 2023 selections:
THIRD TEAM
Athens’ Jordyn Bailey works the ball down court during a game in 2022,. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Jordyn Bailey
School: Athens
Height: 5-foot-8
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 16.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists and shot 41 percent from 3-point range this season.
Zakieah Berry
School: Mae Jemison
Height: 5-foot-7
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists with 98 steals and has 1,000-plus career points. She was ASWA Class 6A honorable mention all-state.
Hartselle’s Gracie Hill hits a three-point shot during 2022 action. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Gracie Hill
School: Hartselle
Height: 5-foot-5
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 13.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists this season. She was ASWA Class 6A honorable mention all-state.
Arab’s Lily Livingston (11) drives to the basket against Pleasant Grove’s Kameryn Davidson (12) during an AHSAA 5A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Lily Livingston
School: Arab
Height: 5-foot-8
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard/Forward
The skinny: Averaged 9.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1 assist with 40 steals and converted 30 percent of 3-pointers. She was ASWA Class 5A second-team all-state.
Hazel Green’s Zyriah Price scores two in the first half as Hazel Green attempts to tie the historic 86th straight win mark during the Hazel Green at Fairfield high-school basketball game in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Zyriah Price
School: Hazel Green
Height: 6-foot
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists this season.
SECOND TEAM
Lee-Huntsville’s Limaya Batimba goes to the basket during 2022 action. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Limaya Batimba
School: Lee-Huntsville
Height: 5-foot-9
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 13 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists with 67 steals this season and has 1,000-plus career points.
Clements’ Leah Childress shoots during an AHSAA Class 3A semifinal game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | [email protected])
Leah Childress
School: Clements
Height: 5-foot-7
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists, converting 42 percent of 200-plus 3-pointers. She earned regional MVP and was ASWA Class 3A second-team all-state.
Shauna Fletcher
School: East Limestone
Height: 5-foot-10
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists and has 2,162 career points and 1,412 career rebounds. She was ASWA Class 5A third-team all-state.
Hazel Green’s Sydney Steward brings the ball dow court against Huffman’s Jamiria Jones during an AHSAA 6A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Sydney Steward
School: Hazel Green
Height: 5-foot-9
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season. She was ASWA Class 6A third-team all-state.
Chandler Sullivan
School: North Sand Mountain
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Averaged 19.5 points, 16.5rebounds and 1.6 assists with 83 steals and 33 blocks. She was ASWA Class 2A first-team all-state.
FIRST TEAM
Priceville’s Leslie Hames (34) blocks the shot of Deshler’s Ali Henson (30) during regionals at Wallace State in Hanceville, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Leslie Hames
School: Priceville
Height: 5-foot-8
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 18.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists, converting 39 percent of over 300 shots from 3-point range this season. She was ASWA Class 4A first-team all-state.
Sparkman’s Kennedy Langham drives to the basket against Hoover’s Layla Etchison during an AHSAA 7Achampionship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Kennedy Langham
School: Sparkman
Height: 5-foot-9
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 19 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists with 116 steals this season and has 1,500-plus career points. She was ASWA Class 7A first-team all-state and played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game.
Pisgah’s Kallie Tinker drives to the basket during 2022 action. (Dennis Victory | [email protected])
Kallie Tinker
School: Pisgah
Height: 5-foot-3
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists with 70 steals. She was ASWA Class 2A first-team all-state.
Guntersville’s Olivia Vandergriff (0) controls the ball from Mortimer Jordan’s Keyarra Scottland (2) during Robert Mashburn Sweet Homelife real estate tournament at Mortimer Jordan in Kimberly, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Olivia Vandergriff
School: Guntersville
Height: 5-foot-7
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists with 105 steals this season and has 2,300-plus career points. She was ASWA Class 5A first team all-state, a finalist for class Player of the Year and played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game.
New Hope’s Kaylee Yarbrough (30) shoots against Prattville Christian’s Avery Rogers (1) during an AHSAA 4A semifinal game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Tues., Feb. 28, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Kaylee Yarbrough
School: New Hope
Height: 5-foot-7
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Averaged 21.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season. She was ASWA Class 4A second-team all-state.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Hazel Green’s Leah Brooks grabs rebound during an AHSAA 6A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Leah Brooks, Hazel Green
The 6-foot-2 junior averaged 16.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game this season and has over 1,000 career points and rebounds. An Alabama commitment, Brooks earned Class 6A finals tournament MVP and is a finalist for Class 6A Player of the Year. She was named ASWA Class 6A first-team all-state.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Bob Jones’ Ja’Kyah Smith works around Hoover’s Alanah Pooler during a 7A regional playoff game in Hanceville, Ala., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Ja’Kyah Smith, Bob Jones
The 5-foot-10 freshman guard averaged 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists with 66 steals and 31 blocks a game this season in leading the Patriots to the Class 7A Northwest Regional final before falling to state champion Hoover. She was named ASWA Class 7A second-team all-state.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Hazel Green coach Tim Miller congratulates Leah Brooks during an AHSAA 6A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Tim Miller, Hazel Green
HONORABLE MENTION
Arab’s Bryleigh Bodine (21) comes down court against Pleasant Grove’s Omaya Nelson (5) during an AHSAA 5A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | [email protected])
Bryleigh Bodine, Arab; Alana Obianozie, Bob Jones; Taylor Farrar, Clements; Genie McGhee, Decatur Heritage; Ellie Cate Hill, Falkville; Tazi Harris, Guntersville; Lindsey Murr, Lindsay Lane; Jaedyn Speights, Madison County; Jasmine Ervin, Mae Jemison; Lauren Hames, Priceville; Ashlyn Hafley, Randolph; Kaina King, Skyline; Blakely Stucky, Skyline; Kenzie Manning, Skyline; Jamya Griffin, Sparkman; Ella Watts, St. John Paul II; Aubrey Oliver, Tanner.