Southern California high school basketball is filled with exceptional shot blockers. We have identified 25 of the best.
The criteria of the list were the blocks per match, the strength of the defense of their team, the strength of the calendar, the ability to change the shot and the disruption of the opponents’ game plans. The majority of players on the list average close to three blocks per game, with a few exceptions for the big hit competitors in the elite teams.
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TOP 25 RIM PROTECTORS IN SOCIAL GIRLS ‘BASKETBALL
Clarice Akunwafo – C – Preparation of the Rolling Hills – JR.
Akunwafo’s 1.8 BPGs were among the poorest for players who successfully cut, but it does a great job of modifying shots and protecting the rim without always getting a piece of the ball.
Haylee Aiden – C – Granada Hills Charter – SR.
Defensive player of the year in the City of L.A. section of Scorebook Live is one of the best shooter blockers, aid shooters and defensive paint anchors in SoCal. The Cal Baptist not only committed an average of 3.5 blocks per game and often deterred potential shooters from just being there, but also committed everything by committing fewer than two fouls per game.
Isuneh Brady – C / F – Catholic Catholic – SO.
At 6-4 with solid athletics, Brady averaged 2.1 BPG. It’s a strong number, but it still underestimates the extent to which the 5-star perspective has protected the paintwork and impacted opponents’ game plans.
Julia Broms – C / F – Oak Park – SR.
Broms averaged 3.5 BPG against strong competition and committed fewer than two fouls per game.
Ava Carter – C / F – JSerra – SO.
Carter averaged 2.5 BPGs and protected the paint consistently with one of SoCal’s toughest schedules.
Breya Cunningham – C / F – La Jolla Country Day – FR.
Cunningham pushed 3.3 blocks per game into the country’s highest-ranked team in the first year. Scouts and fans marvel at his offensive fluidity for his age, but his ability to make clean help spins and contests is also the real deal.
Jada Davis-Mack – F / C – Bishop’s – JR.
Davis-Mack averaged 2.8 BPGs with one of the toughest schedules in the San Diego section.
Mia Dufresne – C – Narbonne – SR
Dufresne averaged more than three blocks per game for one of the best defensive teams in the CIFLACS, and obtained a good handful of blocks against many of their best opponents in the City and South sections.
Liz Elliott – F / C – St. Mary’s Academy – JR.
Elliott is one of the best front-line prospects in SoCal, and that includes rim protection. She scored an average of almost three blocks per game, with the Belles spending much of their season playing against CIFSS top division playoffs.
Arantxa Fonseca – F / G – Foothills Christian – JR.
At 6-0 with great agility, Fonseca is able to spend a lot of time monitoring the perimeter and turning quickly to help protect the rim. She has an average of 3.2 BPG for the 26-5 Knights mainly from the wing.
Grace Gentry – C – San Juan Hills – SR.
Gentry has an average of 2.4 BPG, has rarely been in trouble, and has been the centerpiece of a strong and consistent defense of the stallions.
Claire Giraudo – F – Notre Dame (Riverside) – SR.
At 6-1 with a goalkeeper’s athleticism, Giraudo shared the outside and inside guard time and collected 3.3 BPG.
Tyriesha Green – F – Morse – JR.
The springs and the heart give Green the possibility of deflecting shots at an incredible rate despite arriving at 5-8. She blocked 4.9 shots per game on a solid Morse team that played solid competition.
Emma Konsmo – F / C – Horizon Preparation – SO.
Just one month after the start of her second season, the 6-1 player set a new San Diego section record for 20 blocks in a game. She ruled the state with an astounding 8.4 BPG.
Elodie Lalotte – C – Orangewood Academy – C – SR.
At 6-3 with great fluidity, the engagement of Boise State was the main blocker of shots on Orangewood Academy, champion of the south of section 2-AA.
Rayah Marshall – G / F – Lynwood – JR.
One of the most versatile athletic specimens in high school hoops, Marshall essentially kept 1 to 5 on a weekly basis. She diverted more than 2.6 shots per game while playing a national elite schedule and has never been in big trouble.
Omamoke Okah – C – Oaks Christian – FR.
Okah was perhaps the most impactful defensive presence in Ventura County women’s basketball in its first year of high school. She has an average of just over two blocks per game, but her ability to challenge and modify shots goes much further than the shots she deflects.
Ugonne Onyiah – F / C – Roosevelt – SR.
Onyiah regularly diverts a few shots per game, and she changes another ton. At 6-3 with great length and athleticism, she can turn into help and raise her hand quickly.
Endigo Parker – C – Troy – JR.
Center 6-5 averaged 2.3 blocks per game for the Division 1 South Section finalist. Troy has played a large handful of the best teams on the West Coast and has steadily increased his blocking game when it was most important.
Katie Schwan – C – Tesoro – SR.
Schwan averaged 2.4 BPGs and anchored a solid Tesoro defense. She often appeared big in the block department in their toughest or most important matches.
Lauren Scoville – F / G – La Cañada – JR.
At over six feet tall, Scoville is large in size for a wing, and she uses it to close shooters and make quick spins on the weak side. She averages 3.7 blocks per game against some of the best CIFSS teams.
Makaia Smith – F – Compton – JR.
A six-foot forward combo, Smith had 2.7 shots per game last season. Compton faced a number of dominant Southern Section playoffs, and his block total never suffered against his toughest opponents.
Emma Svoboda – C – La Quinta (La Quinta) – JR.
At more than 6-3 with a great feeling for the game, Emma Svoboda is quietly one of the big dominants in the southern section. This includes defense, as it averages four blocks per game for the Blackhawks 23-6.
Makenna Tootikian – C – San Marcos – JR.
San Marcos played a lot of very solid 2019-2020 programs, and Tookikian made it through, no matter who they faced. She had an average of 3.1 BPG.
Rachel White – F / C – Victory Christian Academy – SR.
White is only 5-8 years old and spends a lot of time keeping the wing, but has managed to average 7.3 BPG.
HONORABLE MENTION
Isabel Arango – F – Leuzinger – JR.
Faith Boulanger – F – Burroughs – JR.
Bryn Boznanski – C – Rosary Academy – SR.
Elfredia Bull – C / F – San Bernardino – SO.
Charlie Colbert – C – Granite Hills – SR.
Lisa Colvin – F / C – Verdugo Hills – SR.
Allison Crawford – C – Millikan – SO.
Lily Geck – F – Crescenta Valley – SR.
Toni Hammork – C – Mission Viejo – SR.
Krista Karban – C – Murrieta Valley – SW.
Ashlee Lewis – Long Beach Poly – SR.
Ari Long – F / G – View over the valley – FR.
Renza Miller – C – Carlsbad – JR.
Naila Mitchell – C / F – Mater Dei catholic – JR.
Ryann Nadeau – C – La Quinta (Westminster) – JR.
Jane Nwaba – C / F – Palisades – SR.
Oluwatomi Oginni – F – Santa Fe – SR.
Chidinma Okafor – F / C – Canyon (Canyon Country) – SR.
Nnenna Orji – C / F – Etiwanda – SR.
Brianna Rodriguez – G / F – Oxford Academy – SR.
Adania Sanchez – F – Ocean View Christian – FR.
Kaci Scott – F – Long Beach Poly – SR.
Maryjane Valles – F / C – Chavez – SO.
Shyann VanKirk – C / F – Grossmont – SO.
Kayleen Vasquez – F / G – Mgr Conaty-Loretto – SO.
Samerika Young – F / C – Artesia – FR.