Michigan’s top high school girls basketball players: Meet the state’s best guards (pt. 1)

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Over the next week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the top players across the Michigan girl’s basketball scene this season. This list will begin to cover the state’s premiere guards.

There are hundreds of standout basketball players in Michigan and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.

The following athletes will be included in the Michigan girls basketball best guards poll posted on Sunday, February 5.

Note: Some stats have been updated more recently than others.

Gabby Reynolds, junior, West Ottawa

Reynolds is one of the state’s top scorers at 25.8 points per game. She also leads West Ottawa in assists, steals and deflections. She’s a three-year starter for coach Paul Chapman and is a two-time all-conference player, a first-team all-state honoree and has numerous Division I offers.

Zar’ria Mitchell, senior, Heritage

Mitchell is in the state’s top 15 for the Miss Basketball of Michigan award. She has committed to play at Davenport and is on the verge of passing 1,000 career points. This season she’s averaging 20.8 points, 4.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.

Madison Johnson-Williams, freshman, Oak Park

Johnson-Williams is one of the state’s most impactful freshmen at any position. She’s stepped in and immediately become the leading scorer for coach Crystal Fulton’s squad. Despite her youth, the combo guard is averaging 19.4 points, 1.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 steals.

“Maddie is a phenomenal defender and an outspoken leader on our team,” Fulton said. “She is able to pass the ball to find open teammates and lead our offense. A true freshman but plays like an experienced veteran.”

Ashley Folkema, junior, Western Michigan Christian

Folkema has been on a scoring bender of late. Over her last five games she’s averaging 25.8 points per game and is at 17.8 per game on the season overall. In 3 of the last 5 games, she’s recorded a double-double in points and rebounds, with 11, 13, and 12 rebounds, respectively. 

“Ashley is a great player on and off the court,” head coach Sarah Koetsier said. “She works hard in practice and puts in extra time outside of practice. Ashley volunteers to help at our summer and winter camps to help train the younger basketball players in our program. Ashley has a calm presence on the court and works hard to be a great teammate.”

Morganne Houk, senior, Plymouth Christian Academy

Houk has signed to play at Grace College next season. Thus far this season, she’s averaging 14.9 points, four assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game. Perhaps her best work, however, has come on the defensive end. 

“Morganne is a high energy player and full court athlete that creates offense for herself and makes her teammates better due to the extra attention she draws from the defense,” coach Rod Windle said. “Despite running the point, she is also assigned to defend our opponent's post player.”

Madison Yeager, senior, Plymouth Christian Academy

Yeager has joined forces with Houk to form a nice duo in the backcourt for Windle. More of an off-guard, Yeager is averaging 12.1 points, two assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. 

“Madison is a terrific scorer from the wing and our top on the ball defender,” Windle said. “She converts runners and hard drives to the rim as well as filling up the three. She defends our opponents' point guard or top scorer.”

Olivia Flynn, sophomore, Harbor Springs

Flynn is averaging 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game while shooting an impressive 55 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep for the 12-2 Rams. Flynn has been a team captain both seasons on varsity. 

“On the court, during the majority of our games, Olivia is either face guarded, double and/or triple teamed and she still maintains to be our leading scorer in every game,” coach Amy Rehmann said. “Olivia is expected to not only run our offense, but defensively, she always guards our opponents' best player. Olivia is not only considered an offensive threat, but is also regarded as one of the conferences' best defensive players.” 

An all-state player, she is already within striking distance of 1,000 career points, despite her youth.

Karie Keefer, sophomore, Freeland

Keefer has been a driving force for a 10-2 Falcons squad. She’s averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists per game and shooting an impressive 84 percent from the free throw line. Coach Matthew Hirschenberger’s team is 7-1 in conference play, in large part due to the play of Keefer, the standout sophomore.

Janiya McWilliams, junior, Fitzgerald

McWilliams is at the heart of one of the state’s best turnarounds. After a 1-15 season last year, she’s helped orchestrate a 16-0 start Fitzgerald group this season. 

“She’s a talented young lady in a transfer culture who stuck it out through the hard times and worked on and off the court to lead her team to success,” coach JuWan Shakespear said. 

McWilliams has had some big scoring games this season and is averaging 14.8 per game thus far.

Anayya Davis, sophomore, Henry Ford

Davis already has Division II offers in her pocket and several Division I schools interested in her. She’s stuck out early in her career because of her size (6-foot) and athleticism. 

“She can go coast to coast as well as anyone and is a great finisher,” coach Matt Joseph said. She’s averaging 15 points, 2.6 assists and three steals per game on 47 percent shooting. 

“She can run the point, shooting guard or small forward,” Joseph said. “She has a dynamic first step and covers a lot of ground when she attacks off the dribble.”

Sylver Bowles, junior, Ypsilanti Community

Bowles was a combo guard last season but has stepped into a full-time role as a point guard this year for coach Dwayne Scott. And, after averaging a mere 4.6 points per game last season, she has not only upped her scoring to 16.2 points, but she became the “best player” on the team this season. 

“Most games she is being double teamed and/or boxed and one,” Scott said. “But she finds a way to keep us in most games. She is our leader and most energetic practice player.” 

Bowles is just one of two returning players this season, too.

Grace Doherty, senior, Forest Hills Northern

A combo guard, Doherty is averaging 16 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game and has multiple 20-plus point outings on the season. 

“Grace is the hardest worker in every practice,” coach Danielle Harrison said. “She's the player that teams strategize against and put their best defender on. She knows when to take over the game and have the ball in her hands and when to share it with teammates.”

Mari Bink, senior, Escanaba

A captain of the team, Bink will continue her career next season at Saginaw Valley State. She’s a four-year varsity player and is averaging 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and three steals per game. Bink plays both point guard and wing and is a “well-rounded athlete that sparks our team,” assistant coach Lisa Maki said.

Mikayla Cook, sophomore, Summit Academy North

At 15 points per game, to go along with three rebounds and steals, Cook has help drive the offense for coach Charles Taylor’s program this season. 

“She can hit the shot, or go to basket with her left hand,” Taylor said. “She’s fast with the ball and growing tremendously as a team player.” Cook has helped push Summit to a 10-6 start.

Layne Sietsema, junior, Forest Hills Northern

Layne, a guard at heart, has played all five positions for Forest Hills Northern this season. Through 14 games she’s averaging 13.6 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting. She’s helped coach Jim Sprague as a leader and spearheads the team’s defense on top of it all.

Delaney Elsmore, junior, Mattawan

Elsemore has asserted herself as one of, if not the top guard in her conference. This year she’s averaging 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, three assists and four steals per night. 

“She constantly draws double teams and is being face guarded and denied by our opponents best player,” coach Chad Conklin said. “She is the quickest guard I have seen this season and does a nice job of getting to the rim and has a great pull up jump shot.” 

Elsmore leads her team in points, 3-pointers made, rebounds, assists, steals, and deflections.

Mary Copple, senior, Brighton

At 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals per game this year, Copple is roughly 150 points away from surpassing the 1,000 point mark. Now a senior, she’s been a leader for the program for four seasons. 

“She is a prolific scorer that many programs look to stop,” coach Bob Wellman said. “She can score from beyond the arc as well as get to the rim. She has a great basketball IQ and sees the floor as good as anyone. She makes her teammates around her better and is a gym rat that is always working on her craft.” 

Copple will be attending Canisius College next year to play basketball.

Alyssa Wypych, senior, Rockford

Rockford is viewed as one of the state’s top teams at 12-1 and has a two-game lead in its conference. The program made it to the final four last season and Wypych is at the forefront of the team’s dominance. She’s a four-year varsity player and an all-conference player who will play at Michigan Tech next season. She’s averaging 14 points per game and shooting 42 percent from deep at the point guard spot.

Anna Wypych, sophomore, Rockford

Not to be outdone by her older sister, Wypych has wasted little time asserting herself as one of the area’s top talents. She’s already earned all-conference honors and is stacking Division I offers. She’s averaging 16 points per game and shooting an impressive 41 percent from 3-point land.

Ella Mason, junior, Negaunee

“Ella is the definition of a gym rat,” coach Mike O’Donnell said. “She wants to be the best she can be. Usually if she's not in the gym, she can be found watching film or training at a local training gym working on her strength, speed and agility.” 

What does that look like on the court? Well, this season, that’s meant 21.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a pair of steals per night. Mason has some Division II interest, including Michigan Tech and Minnesota Duluth.

“Our team starts one senior, two juniors, a sophomore and a freshman," O'Donnell said. "We are currently 12-4 and without Ella we probably don't have more than 5 wins. I would say she is one of the better players in the Upper Peninsula.”

Gracie Gortmaker, senior, Caledonia

Gortmaker was an honorable mention all-conference player as a junior and continues to refine her game. This season she’s averaging 16 points, four rebounds, 1.5 assists and three steals per game. She’s committed to play at Cornerstone University next season. 

“Gracie is in her third season as a varsity player and she has consistently improved each year,” coach Todd Bloemers said. “She has been effective as a scorer this year shooting nearly 50 percent from the field in spite of the fact that she faces the best defender from each team we play. She is incredibly good around the basket and in transition, where her play-making ability is at its best.”

Colleena Bryant, sophomore, Wayne Memorial

Bryant has been the starting point guard since she came on board last season as a freshman and currently holds three Division I offers. This season she’s filling the stat sheet with 11.2 points, 7.6 assists and 7.4 rebounds in her do-it-all role for coach Jarvis Mitchell and Wayne Memorial. She helped lead the program to the final four last season as a freshman.

Braxcynn Baker, junior, Lowell

Baker’s been lighting it up for coach Heath Kent’s Lowell group this year. She’s scoring 22.7 a night on 54.8 effective field goal percentage, while adding 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 3.2 assists per game. She has a dozen-plus Division I offers, and she's just became Lowell's all-time leading scorer. She’s also a two-time first-team conference player.

Meghan Trewhella, senior, Houghton

Houghton’s playing faster than ever this season thanks to the senior Trewhella. 

“Meghan's strength is her speed,” coach Julie Filpus said. “She is constantly pushing the ball and looking to get the ball down the court.” 

Trewhella is averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game while shooting 58.5 percent from two-point range. 

“She is a leader for us in many statistical categories,” Filpus said. “In practice, 9.9 out of 10 times her team wins the scrimmage. She competes. When we need a score, she is the one who delivers.”