The school year may be over, but the debates are just beginning.
With another high school sports season complete, The Record is shifting the Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week series into offseason mode.
Rather than honoring athletes from a specific week, we’ll spend the summer revisiting the biggest performances, moments and accomplishments from across the 2025-26 school year.
Best single-game performances. Athletes of the year. Coaches of the year. The best of the best.
After kicking things off with football last week, we now turn our attention to girls basketball.
We’ve selected 20 of the most impressive single-game girls basketball performances from the 2025-26 season. Now it’s up to you to decide which one deserves the top spot.
The poll closes at noon Thursday, June 12. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.
Scroll below the poll for a closer look at the 20 performances up for consideration.
Here are the 20 nominees:
Coronado scores more than Stagg, drops 39 points in Kimball season opener
Switching sports usually comes with an adjustment period. Emma Coronado skipped that step. Less than a month after finishing a flag football season that included 8,079 passing yards, 1,453 rushing yards and 110 touchdowns, the Kimball senior guard erupted for 39 points in a 74-30 victory over Stagg on Nov. 22.
St. Mary’s Smith posts 18 points, 18 rebounds in rout of California top-50 team
After a 20-14 season, questions surrounded what St. Mary’s could become. Those questions began to fade quickly on Nov. 29. Facing Buchanan, a top-50 team in California, Oregon State signee Evelini Smith dominated with 18 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a 75-45 victory in just the Rams’ second game of the season.
Ten steals headline Escalon’s Velasco’s triple-double performance against Millennium
Although Arianna Velasco is committed to UC Riverside for softball, performances like this show why she was named The Record’s 2025-26 All-San Joaquin County Girls Basketball Co-MVP. In just the third game of the season on Dec. 3, the Escalon junior turned in one of the year’s most complete performances, posting a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 steals in a 56-23 victory over Millennium. She also added eight assists, finishing just two shy of a quadruple-double while recording her third straight game with at least 10 steals.
Kimball’s Coronado erupts for 40 points in blowout of Chavez
How does it feel to outscore the opposing team by yourself? Emma Coronado is one of the few who know. The Kimball senior guard scored 40 points in a 72-24 victory over Chavez on Dec. 8, while also adding eight steals.
Millennium’s Digiallonardo posts jaw-dropping 32-point, 24-rebound effort
Some performances require context. This wasn’t one of them. Just read the numbers. Millennium’s 5-foot-10 senior center Sarah Digiallonardo piled up 32 points and 24 rebounds in a 68-28 victory on Dec. 9, putting together a stat line that demands a second, third and maybe even fourth look.
Velasco carries Escalon past Gregori with 38-point performance
Putting a team on one’s back is a phrase often used in sports. On Dec. 12, Arianna Velasco provided a fitting example. Less than 24 hours after a win over Venture Academy, the Escalon junior finished with a career-high 38 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and five steals in a 55-50 victory over Gregori.
One steal shy, Escalon’s Velasco nearly joins exclusive quadruple-double club against Pitman
Four games in four days did little to slow down Arianna Velasco. Thirteen days after coming two assists shy of a quadruple-double, the Escalon junior nearly pulled it off again, recording 10 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and nine steals in a 54-22 victory over Pitman on Dec. 16. She finished just one steal short of joining one of basketball’s most exclusive clubs.
Smith’s 34-point double-double helps Lincoln topple VOL powerhouse East Union
Long before East Union’s run to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship game, Terrazia Smith gave a glimpse of what it would take to knock off the Lancers. The Lincoln sophomore stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, 10 rebounds and six steals while shooting 15-for-25 from the field in a 75-65 victory on Dec. 19.
Digiallonardo reaches 20-20 plateau with ease as Millennium sneaks past Venture Academy
The stakes couldn’t have been much higher when Millennium faced Venture Academy. A loss would have left the Falcons out of a share of the Central California Athletic Alliance League title race. Sarah Digiallonardo refused to let the opportunity slip away, finishing with 23 points and 26 rebounds in a 47-45 victory over eventual co-champion Venture Academy on Jan. 20.
Escalon’s Velasco caps title run with 29 points, 19 rebounds over defending champs
Everything changed for Escalon on Jan. 30. A season-ending injury to senior guard Madison Babasa left the Cougars without their second-leading scorer and created uncertainty for a team sitting atop the Trans-Valley League standings at 8-0. Less than two weeks later, Arianna Velasco helped erase any doubt, piling up 29 points, 19 rebounds and six assists in a 56-33 victory over defending league champion Ripon on Feb. 10 as Escalon moved to 11-0 in TVL play and closed in on its third league title in five years.
Smith reaches 2,000-point milestone in Liberty Ranch rout of Argonaut
Milestones followed Haley Smith throughout her Liberty Ranch career, and another arrived Jan. 30. The senior guard eclipsed 2,000 career points during an 87-13 rout of Argonaut, scoring 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. In fitting fashion, Smith later showed just as much appreciation for surpassing 1,000 career rebounds on Feb. 10, highlighting the all-around impact she brought every night.
Crabb’s 26 points, six threes help Sierra reclaim city bragging rights
A three-point loss to Manteca earlier in the season gave Sierra extra motivation when the rivals met again on Feb. 5. Isabellah Crabb made sure the Timberwolves took advantage. The senior sharpshooter, who led San Joaquin County in made 3-pointers, scored 26 points while shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 6-for-11 from deep in a 59-28 victory.
Wiseman’s double-double helps Lathrop complete perfect 28-0 regular season
Few would have predicted a perfect regular season for a team coming off a 13-14 campaign and starting three freshmen. Fast forward to Feb. 12, and Lathrop was one win away from completing exactly that. Breanna Wiseman helped finish the job, recording 17 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in limited minutes during a 67-22 victory over Beyer.
St. Mary’s Horton shines with 27 points in 61-point victory of rival Lincoln
With future college talent spread throughout the lineup, it would have been easy for a freshman to blend into the background. Dylan Horton never did. The St. Mary’s guard spent the season emerging as the team’s top scorer, and against rival Lincoln on Feb. 12 she was flawless, pouring in 27 points while shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the field in a 101-40 victory.
Twenty-eight points from Smith lift Lincoln into CIF SJS quarterfinals
An opening-round playoff game that looked comfortable on paper turned into a battle for Lincoln. Every time No. 13 Monterey Trail threatened to pull off the upset, Terrazia Smith had an answer. The sophomore guard scored 28 points while shooting 10-for-21 from the field and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc in a 60-58 victory on Feb. 17.
Smith’s 30-point performance sends St. Mary’s to CIF SJS semifinals
Evelini Smith’s impact is often felt in ways that don’t always show up in the scoring column. Against No. 9 Sheldon in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinals, however, the St. Mary’s senior center took advantage of every opportunity she got. Smith poured in 30 points on 14-for-17 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in a 91-30 victory on Feb. 19, helping send the Rams to the semifinals.
Lathrop’s 30th straight win, CIF SJS semifinal berth comes behind Porter’s double-double
League opponents know each other too well for a third meeting to come easy. Yet when Lathrop faced Ceres in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III quarterfinals on Feb. 19, senior Shakara Porter helped make sure the result stayed the same. The lone senior in the Spartans’ starting lineup recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and five steals in a 60-52 victory that delivered a semifinal berth and a 30th consecutive win.
East Union spoils Lathrop’s perfect season, reaches first CIF SJS final since 1994 behind Beasley’s double-double
Lathrop was 30-0 when it met East Union in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals. By the end of the night, Zyondupree Beasley and the Lancers had handed the Spartans their first loss. Beasley finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the 47-37 victory on Feb. 24, helping send East Union to its first section final since 1994. “Credit to them,” Beasley said. “They’re a great team. But we’ve beaten undefeated teams before. They’re 30-1 now.”
Hardy delivers two-way gem as St. Mary’s captures CIF SJS title No. 23
The bright lights of Golden 1 Center never seemed too big for Aynya Hardy. After spending the season proving she belonged on one of the state’s top teams, the St. Mary’s freshman guard delivered on the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship stage, finishing with 21 points, four assists, no turnovers and eight steals while helping the Rams secure their 23rd section title on Feb. 28.
Ray delivers 18 points as Lathrop advances to first CIF State regional semifinal
A 30-game winning streak had ended. A one-point victory over a No. 14 seed followed. Lathrop needed a response, and Jaleiyah Ray helped provide it. The junior forward scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 49-42 victory over No. 6 University Prep on March 5, helping send the Spartans to their first CIF State regional semifinal.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Vote for the Martin Dentistry best girls basketball performance of 2025-26
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
