The members of the 2009 St. Louis American “Fab Five” Girls All-Star Basketball Team represent a mixture of the traditional powers of St. Louis girls basketball as well as some breakthrough programs on the rise. Junior Jazmin Hitchens of Incarnate Word and senior Megan Sharpe of Edwardsville come from two of the area’s most established programs. Meanwhile, Hazaria Washington of Cardinal Ritter and Ciara Leak of Miller Career Academy made history at their respective schools in leading them to their first Final Four berths while senior Arriana Walker of Parkway South helped bring the Lady Patriots program back to the area’s elite.
Here is a closer look at the members of the 2009 St. Louis American Girls “Fab Five.”
Jazmin Hitchens (Incarnate Word): The 5’11” junior emerged as the top player for the Red Knights after being a valuable contributor as a sophomore. Hitchens led the Red Knights in scoring, rebouding and steals with her combination of size, quickness and tenacity. As a junior, Hitchens averaged 13.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 steals in leading Incarnate Word to a 26-3 record and a No. 1 ranking in the area for much of the 2009 season. She was the Most Valuable Player of the Visitation Holiday Tournament after averaging 17 points a game in leading the Red Knights to the championship of the prestigious Christmas tournament.
Ciara Leak (Miller Career Academy): A four-year starter, the 5’5” Leak ended her stellar career by leading the Phoenix to their first ever trip to the Final Four of the state tournament. Leak averaged 14.6 points and 3.6 assists to lead the Phoenix to a 24-6 record and a third-place finish in the Class 4 state tournament. She also led Career Academy to the Public High League championship and a district title. In the state quarterfinals, Leak had a game-high 16 points to lead Career Academy to a 44-39 victory over previously unbeaten St. Dominic to give the Phoenix its historic berth in the Final Four.
Megan Sharpe (Edwardsville): The St. Louis American Player of the Year, the 5’9” senior forward led the Tigers to a 31-2 record and a berth in the IHSA Class 4A Supersectionals. Sharpe assumed the role of go-to player after the graduation of All-State center Anya Covington and she responded in a big way. As a senior, Sharpe averaged 15.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and two steals while shooting better than 71 percent from the free-throw line. Her top effort of the season came in the sectional championship game against Belleville West when she had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Tigers to a victory in the postseason showdown of Southwestern Conference powers. Sharpe will attend Truman State University on a volleyball scholarship.
Arriana Walker (Parkway South): The little engine that drove the Parkway South machine, the 5’6” senior point guard helped lead the Patriots to a 25-4 record, the Suburban West conference title and a district championship. Walker averaged 14 points a game, but her scoring was only a small part of the story. She also averaged 5.5 assists and 5.1 steals while providing the leadership and defensive presence that sparked the Lady Patriots full-court pressure defense. Walker’s is the school’s career leader in assists and steals. She finished her career with a 23-point performance against Hazelwood Central in the Class 5 state sectionals.
Hazaria Washington (Cardinal Ritter): The talented 5’9” junior forward used her athleticism and versatility to lead the Lions to their first state championship in the school’s history. Washington led the Lions in scoring at nearly 13 points a game while helping fuel the Lions’ stingy defense with 3.5 steals a game. She also had a flair for the dramatic, especially in the postseason. Her last-second steal and layup gave Ritter a 27-26 victory over Metro in the district championship game. Her free-throw with seven seconds left in the Class 3 state championship game gave Ritter a 50-49 victory. Washington scored 18 points to lead the Lions in the state finals.
First Team
Jazmin Hitchens 5’11” (Jr.) Incarnate Word
Ciara Leak 5’5” (Sr.) Miller Career Academy
Megan Sharpe 5’9” (Sr.) Edwardsville
Arriana Walker 5’6” (Sr.) Parkway South
Hazaria Washington 5’9” (Jr.) Cardinal Ritter
Second Team
Terika Adams 5’9” (Sr.) McCluer North
Raven Berry 6’0” (Sr.) Collinsville
Ebony Davis 5’11” (Sr.) Parkway South
Erika McCaster 5’6” (Soph.) Belleville West
Robniesha Woods 5’9” (Sr.) Hazelwood East
Third Team
Shelah Fields 5’7” (Sr.) Riverview Gardens
Jazmin Hill 5’6” (Jr.) Althoff
Chantiera Johnson 6’0” (Sr.) Hazelwood Central
Breanna McLaughlin 5’9” (Sr.) Hazelwood Central
Destini Wilson 5’10” (Sr.) Whitfield
Fourth Team
Tarah Adams 6’0” (Sr.) McCluer North
Kelly French 5’7” (Sr.) Parkway North
Brianna Hawthorne 5’8” (Jr.) McCluer South-Berkeley
Kayla Person 5’9” (Sr.) Incarnate Word
Rashonda Willis 5’6” (Sr.) Miller Career Academy
Fifth Team
Charlonda Bozeman 5’9” (Sr.) Hazelwood Central
Jasmine Cooper 5’10 (Sr.) Metro
Anna Hackman 6’0” (Sr.) Fort Zumwalt West
Breanna McCullough 5’8” (Jr.) Cardinal Ritter
Alexis Sutton 5’6” (Sr.) Parkway North
Player of the Year: Megan Sharpe (Edwardsville)
Coach of the Year: Darren Wade (Cardinal Ritter)
Senior of the Year: Megan Sharpe (Edwardsville)
Junior of the Year: Jazmin Hitchens (Incarnate Word)
Sophomore of the Year: Erika McCaster (Belleville West)
Freshman of the Year: Sharese Jones (Francis Howell Central)
