For the sixth consecutive season, Outside the Huddle is proud to announce out 15 player All-Area basketball team for the girls as their seasons has concluded.
These are the 15 top players, as seen by OTH, during the 2023-2024 season. They are listed alphabetically by grade.
LEXI CASTATOR, NORTHROP, SENIOR
During her final season with the Bruins, Castator stepped into an even bigger role all around. She scored 12.1 points per game while leading the Bruins with 6.1 rebounds and with 4.2 assists per contest. Castator posted 12 games of double digit scoring with her career night coming in the Sectional loss to Snider where she scored 34 points on 8 of 13 shooting. She had back-to-back double doubles in December with 16 points and 10 assists against East Noble and two nights later had 20 points and 12 rebounds against Bishop Luers. She was named IBCA Senior All-State Large School.
HAILEY COLE, BELLMONT, SENIOR
Cole was a dominant force for the Braves as they competed at the top of the NE8. Appearing in 23 games, she averaged 14.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.3 assists per contest. Cole was a power for Bellmont both in transition and around the basket all season and was named IBCA Senior All-State Honorable Mention.
KENNEDY FUELLING, NORWELL, SENIOR
The Norwell star became the program’s all-time scoring leader during her senior season as she pushed the Knights to a Class 3A state finals appearance. During her final season, Fuelling averaged an area best 21.4 points per game to go with 3.8 steals, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. She was named IBCA Senior Supreme 15 All-State, her second straight Supreme 15 appearances. Fuelling was named to OTH’s first All-Defensive team.
MAKENZIE FUESS, NORWELL, SENIOR
After a solid junior season, Fuess cemented herself as one of Norwell’s best shooters all-time as a senior, trailing just Kennedy Fuelling on the program’s all-time three point made list. Fuess tallied 16.1 points per game, one of the top scoring averages in the area for a player that was not the team’s leading scorer. She added 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.7 assists for the Class 3A state runner up Knights. Fuess was named IBCA Senior All-State Large School.
JORDYN POOLE, SNIDER, SENIOR
An Indiana All-Star and Miss Basketball finalist, Poole took the reigns again for her senior season in leading the Panthers to a SAC and Sectional title. She led Snider’s balanced lineup with 16.9 points and 4.4 assists per game while adding 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest and being named IBCA Senior Supreme 15 All-State. She scored in double digits in all but one game, while shooting 44 percent from he field and 34 percent from three point range. Poole also tallied a 22 point, 12 assist double double against Norwell.
MACY PRIES, SOUTH ADAMS, SENIOR
Pries became the South Adams program’s all-time leading scorer during her final season, averaging 20 points per game; just one of three area players to average 20 or more points this season. Her scoring outputs were sometimes gaudy with 14 games of 20 or more points including a season best 34 points against South Side. A little bit of a do everything player for the Starfires, Pries averaged 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and three steals per contest. She was named IBCA All-State Honorable Mention.
ADDISON BAXTER, COLUMBIA CITY, JUNIOR
An Indiana Junior All-Star and IBCA Underclass Supreme 15 All-State selection, the Butler commit is one of the best non-seniors in the state and arguably the best of that in Northeast Indiana. She was the lead hand again for Columbia City, averaging 18 points per game and was likely the most consistent across the board stat earner in the area with 6.9 rebounds, an area best 5.4 steals and also 5.2 assists per contest.
ASHLEY COX, DEKALB, JUNIOR
When you think of a player who does just a lot of everything for your team, Cox is ideal in that role. She led the Barons at 19.9 points per game while nearly marking a double double on averages with 8.3 rebounds per game. She was one of the area’s top defenders as well, adding 3.2 steals to go along with 2.5 assists per contest. Cox was named IBCA Underclass All-State Honorable Mention.
AVA MCGRADE, LAKEWOOD PARK, JUNIOR
McGrade became one of the most prolific scorers in the area as a junior. McGrade surpassed 1,000 points for her career and became Lakewood Park’s all-time leader for points in a season (455), career threes (135), and single season threes (73). She also tied the single game threes record with 9 for the Panthers. She averaged 19.8 points per game, to go with 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.6 assists per game. McGrade was named IBCA Underclass All-State Honorable Mention and scored 30 or more points five times.
BROOKE WINCHESTER, WARSAW, JUNIOR
The Ball State commit earned IBCA Underclass Supreme 15 All-State honors this season while scoring in double figures all 22 games this season including a 22 point, 19 rebound effort in Sectionals against Northridge. Winchester was named an Indiana Junior All-Star and is 14th all-time in Warsaw scoring. During her junior season, Winchester averaged 15.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest to go along with 2.3 assists and two steals per game.
JOSLYN BRICKER, WARSAW, SOPHOMORE
As an IBCA Underclass All-State Honorable Mention honoree, Bricker continued her career on a solid pace with 16.2 points and a team high 3.3 assists per game this season for the Tigers. The 19th all-time leading scorer already for Warsaw, Bricker has been in double figures in all 22 games this past season and in 28 straight games and 33 of the 34 in her career. She added 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game this season.
MYAH EPPS, HOMESTEAD, SOPHOMORE
Epps continued her stellar upward trajectory in her second season as the Spartans captured Sectional and Regional titles. She averaged a team best 17.5 points over 28 games, adding 5.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals along the way. Postseason, Epps was named IBCA Underclass Supreme 15 All-State, listed among the top 15 non-seniors in Indiana. Considered by many as the top sophomore in the state of Indiana, Epps is on the path to be one of Homestead’s top scorers ever.
GABBY HELSOM, HOMESTEAD, SOPHOMORE
Alongside her Class of 2026 mate Myah Epps, Helsom also took center stage for the Spartans this season while being named IBCA Underclass All-State Large School. She helped Homestead to Sectional and Regional titles while filling in the stat sheets with 16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 assists per contest as a constant pace setter for the Spartans.
KHALA WILLIAMS-THOMAS, NORTHROP, SOPHOMORE
Williams-Thomas was one of the biggest breakout performers in the area this season, stepping into a major role on both sides of the ball for the Bruins. While averaging a team best 17.1 points per game, Williams-Thomas was also phenomenal on the defensive end, where she tallied 3.4 steals per contest. The sophomore also had 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. She had a pair of double doubles this season including a monster 26 points and 11 steals against Bishop Dwenger. She was named IBCA Underclass All-State Large School.
MILEY WAREING, BISHOP LUERS, SOPHOMORE
Wareing broke out at a high level this season, helping lead the Knights to the Class 2A state championship and being named IBCA Underclass All-State Small School. Wareing averaged 11.7 points per game and a team high 9.4 rebounds. She also added two assists, 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per contest and led the Knights in scoring during their state title game win.
Be the first to comment