One of the best seasons in the history of Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls' Basketball garnered impressive postseason recognition.
Kayla Mokwuah '18, Alana Perkins '19 and A.J. Washington '19 were invited to play in an all-star basketball game and were named to the league's list of top players for the Titans, who finished the regular season 17-3 and earned the #3 seed in the New England Class C Tournament.
"This is a big deal for us," WMA Girls' Basketball Coach Durelle Brown said. "It's our third year in a row having three all-stars, which is a testament to our program's growth. Some programs have one, some have two, and the really good ones have three."
Kayla was named to the very selective NEPSAC Class C First Team, while Alana and A.J. made the Honorable Mention list. All three played in the New England Prep School Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game.
Below is information and quotes from Coach Brown on each player:
Name: Kayla Mokwuah, 6-foot-4-inch center
2017-18 stats per game: 23.2 points, 15.5 rebounds, 4.1 blocks
College plans: Will play next season at George Washington University
Coach Brown: "Kayla was every bit of the word 'dominant' again this year in her senior campaign. The George Washington commit was the heart and soul of the team, a role that was new to her since she played with five great seniors last season. This year's growth came in her leadership, where Kayla relished the role and led them vocally and physically. I could not be prouder of the player and leader that she has become. Kayla had 18 double-doubles in 20 games this season. She compiled three 30-point, 20-rebound games. Kayla leaves WMA as the best female basketball player to don the royal blue and red. I am just the coach who was lucky enough to have coached her and helped her improve. She is an even better person and student than a player. I cannot blame Coach Jen Rizzotti for her excitement to get Kayla down to D.C. I look forward to watching Kayla torment the A-10 next!"
Name: Alana Perkins, 5-foot-7 shooting guard
2017-18 stats per game: 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals
College plans: Has received interest from schools in the ACC, Big East, Ivy, Patriot, Atlantic-10, CAA, MAAC, AAC, America East, NEC, MAC, Big West and WCC.
Coach Brown: "Alana is a special player. Right now, everyone knows her as a special 3-point shooter. She connected on 82 3-pointers this season, good for 4.1 per game while shooting at a 41-percent clip. As impressive as all of that is, she is an even better player. As I coached her for the first time this season, I saw her desire to improve in all facets of her game, all of the time. Her ability to attack the basket improved; her ability to create for her teammates improved; her ability to defend in our full-court pressure, as well as in the half court on and off the ball, improved. Alana is passionate, which for most very good players is a gift and a curse. She is constantly at work, learning how to play through adversity, and being locked in regardless of how she is playing. She is an absolute joy to coach, and I look forward to how good she will be next season as a senior."
A.J. Washington, 5-foot-2 guard
2017-18 stats per game: 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.4 steals
College plans: College list includes Rhode Island College, Nichols College, St. Rose, Post University, Brandeis, Emmanuel College, St. Joseph's (Conn.) and Springfield College.
Coach Brown: "A.J. was the energy giver of our team this season. Whether starting or coming off the bench, the energy and intensity of the game picked up when she was on the floor. Although her numbers do not jump out, her importance comes from her intangibles. Playing in 16 of our 20 games (missing four games due to injury), A.J. finished the season with 103 deflections (the next closest teammate had 46 deflections). A.J. almost averaged as many deflections as she did points. That stat speaks volumes to who she is. She will do any and everything for the team, and she will work her tail off. She was an All-New England performer in cross country in the fall, this being her first year at WMA."