I think any of the trio of Azzi, Haley, and Paige would be worthy.
Haley had a great season. No surprise there. When Mitty lost 2 games at the Nike TOC, it might have hurt her chances, even though there was illness involved, as I recall. Azzi’s team lost only once, also at the Nike TOC, by 3 to top-ranked Miami Country Day. SJC beat perennial powerhouse Paul VI, with the #5 senior Ashley Owusu. They also beat Bishop McNamara, who was in the top 6 nationally most of the season, 3x.
I’ve seen Azzi 1x as a freshman and 5x this season, including 4x in the post-season. She had 38 in the championship game, matching 28-4 Visitstion’s total. SJC played a tough schedule. I don’t know if it was better than Mitty’s, but probably comparable.
The easiest way to describe Azzi is by comparison. She’s maybe 1.5” shorter than Maya and not as strong or as good a rebounder. But she has a better handle now and probably a more accurate shot. Azzi is a trimmer version of Kaleena with better elevation. Imagine K as a high school senior but 15 lbs. lighter. That’s Azzi right now. She can get to the rim better than K could. She’s as good as K was when she was NPOY as a senior at Mater Dei. Her jump shot matches the legendary Lewis Launch. Azzi’s pull-up jumper is simply world-class, as good as Sue’s or any in the WNBA. She plays like a 20-year-old, despite being 15 or barely 16. She could be the next 3,000-point scorer and a multiple-time NCAA champion (at the right school).
Azzi is perhaps too unselfish and very much a team player. She wanted to win the championship for her senior teammates, who adore her. She plays in trademark pigtails and in some ways is just a very sweet 15-16 year-old girl. But she’s a killer on the court.
Here’s my dream UConn 3-point contest: Diana, Sue, Maya, Kaleena, and Lou. Add Azzi to the mix. She would be very competitive. She beat all the high school boys at the Steph Curry camp. The only player to beat her there was Steph, himself. Azzi wants a rematch.
Yeah, it’s highly unusual—as in never—for a sophomore to win NPOY. But she’s not a normal player and this is not a normal year.
Let’s see how she does up in NYC in the GEICO championship. I expect another step toward legendary.
