March is generally dominated by madness as college basketball takes center stage.
But as the madness kicks into full gear, the basketball focus on the Treasure Coast shifts to award season. The winter high school athletic calendar wrapped up early with the St. Lucie West Centennial girls basketball team breaking a 24-year drought with a state semifinal appearance.
The girls on the hardwood had the most collective success of any winter sport in the area, with five teams fighting for a regional championship. Many of those teams were guided by superstar players that enjoyed superstar seasons.
Watch the best high school sports in Florida
There were other area programs that danced into the postseason, and even a couple of the teams that didn’t have a playoff berth featured players who put together phenomenal individual campaigns.
With the all-area awards set to be revealed later this month and into the first week of April, TCPalm takes a look at the top players in the conversation for Player of the Year honors.
TCPalm Player of the Year contenders
Victoria Boyer, Fr., Lincoln Park Academy
The first freshman on the list is arguably the area’s best talent. Bumping up her scoring by 10 points from her eighth-grade season, Boyer was tough to contain regardless of who was in front of her. The 5-foot-10 guard was the top player during the Greyhounds’ run to the Region 3-3A Final, leading the team in scoring at 18.4 points per game. Boyer, who holds offers from Wake Forest and George Mason, not only put the ball through the net at a high rate, she also did so with tremendous efficiency, shooting 53 percent from the field, 43 percent from three-point territory and 92 percent from the foul line. She racked up 42 points during the District 10-3A Final against Avon Park.
Lizzie Fitzwater, Sr., Jensen Beach
The Falcons guard has long been a capable scorer through the course of her four-year prep career. This year, Fitzwater got buckets at a record clip for her while continuing to evolve into the team’s point guard. The senior put up career-best averages in points (16.9), rebounds (3.3), assists (2.9) and steals (3.2) to help Jensen Beach finish at the District 13-5A runner up and reach the regional quarterfinals. She reached 1,000 career points during a Dec. 12 victory against Fort Pierce Central.
Reniah Flynn, Sr., Treasure Coast
Flynn served as the heart and soul of a Titans team that earned a regional final berth for the first time since 2014 and set school records for best start (14-0) and single-season wins (25). She provided leadership as one of the roster’s two seniors and did so by example. The senior wing and team captain paced Treasure Coast in scoring (16.0 ppg), shooting percentage (47%) and rebounding (8.9). That’s all while nearly snagging three steals a game. She had her best game on Jan. 30 by notching 17 points and 22 rebounds against Jensen Beach. Flynn scored her 1,000th career point one week later against St. Lucie West Centennial.
Khloe Rodgers, Fr., South Fork
Rodgers already had the reputation as a dynamic scorer during her time at Somerset College Prep. Now add “culture shifter” to her resume as she helped a perennially struggling program with four total wins in its previous three seasons to 20 wins this past season. Within shooting range once she crosses half court, the freshman guard is liable to go off on any given night. She fired in an area-best 32.5 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the field. Extrapolated to 32 minutes a game, Rodgers’ scoring average (34.1) ranks third in the nation, according to MaxPreps. The freshman broke the Bulldogs’ single game scoring record multiple times, highlighted by a 52-point effort against St. Edward’s on Jan. 20.
Ja’Zaria Walker, Fr., John Carroll Catholic
The third freshman in the conversation was the primary reason why the Rams reached their first regional final in more than 30 years. Walker was a beast in her first prep season, dominating opponents down low with a sweet combination of force and polish. She was guaranteed double-double just about every time she stepped on the floor, averaging 16.8 points and 11.2 points. On two separate occasions, the freshman had games of 23 points and 20 rebounds.
Arianah Wallace, Jr., Morningside Academy
While the competition Wallace faced wasn’t as high as some of her contemporaries, eye-popping numbers are eye-popping numbers. And that was something she put up in helping the Eagles reach the regional quarterfinals. She increased every single statistical category during her junior campaign, averaging 24.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, a staggering 8.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Wallace scored a season-best 40 points against Berean Christian on Nov. 20.
Jailyn Williams, Sr., St. Lucie West Centennial
After being named Player of the Year following the 2024-25 campaign, this senior forward is in contention to repeat after helping her team win its first regional title since 2002. Williams was a model of consistency as she scored in double figures in 26 of 30 games this season. She saved her best for the Eagles’ most meaningful battles, finishing as Centennial’s leading scorer through the team’s final three postseason games. That stretch was highlighted by pouring in 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a Class 7A state semifinal against eventual-champion Doral Academy. With interest from Division I and II schools, Williams finished her final prep season averaging 16.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Who’s in the running for TCPalm’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year?
Reporting by Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
