by Michael O'Shea
Parade Magazine
If the names Chelsea Gray and Chiney Ogwumike sound familiar, it’s because both have been chosen as PARADE All-Americans twice before. This year, they have the added distinction of sharing Player of the Year honors on our 34th annual All-America High School Girls Basketball Team.
Gray, a 5-foot-11 point guard for St. Mary’s High in Stockton, Calif., helped keep the Rams in the nation’s top-ranked position for most of the year, averaging 18 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds per game.
“She’s a great all-around player, always working hard to improve,” St. Mary’s coach Tom Gonsalves says. “Chelsea could score 30 points every night; instead, she passes and gets our other players in the game. She’s an even better person than player, and a super student with a 3.6 GPA.” Gray will head to Duke next season.
A love of basketball runs in the family for Co-Player of the Year Ogwumike, a 6-foot-3 center at Cy-Fair High in Cypress, Tex. Her sister Nneka was named PARADE Co-Player of the Year in 2008, and Chiney has two younger siblings who also play the sport. But she isn’t likely to disappear into anyone’s shadow. This season, she averaged 23 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
“Chiney has so much talent and outstanding leadership abilities,” Cy-Fair coach Ann Roubique says. “She has grown tremendously—not only as a player but as an individual. She’s an excellent teammate and an excellent role model, and she’s without a doubt a great representative of our school and our community.” A straight-A student who is active in her community and president of the student council, Ogwumike will join her sister Nneka at Stanford next year.
Gray and Ogwumike head a 40-player roster of standout athletes from 18 states and Washington, D.C. California leads the pack with nine All-Americans, including Co-Player of the Year Gray. The team was selected by coaches, scouts, and recruiters across the country.
Top Players
KALEENA MOSQUEDA-LEWIS Mater Dei High, Santa Ana, Calif.
ODYSSEY SIMS MacArthur High, Irving, Tex.
NATASHA HOWARD Waite High, Toledo, Ohio
ELIZABETH WILLIAMS Princess Anne High,Virginia Beach, Va.
RICHA JACKSON Midwest City High, Midwest City, Okla.
SHONI SCHIMMEL Franklin High, Portland, Ore.
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