2014 Girls POY Finalists bio headshots 3 12 14

 2014 McDonald’s All American Games
Girls POY Finalists
ARIEL ATKINS - #24
Height: 6-0
Position: Guard • Duncanville High School, TX
Hometown: Duncanville, TX • College: Texas
PPG: 17.7 • RPG: 6 • SPG: 5.1
Atkins is an athletic and versatile guard that can defend, score and
bring down rebounds. Defensively, Atkins is a lock-down defender with
the quickness to stay in front of anyone and force turnovers.
Offensively, Atkins looks to exploit her defender’s weaknesses, utilizing
a strong mid-range jump shot, impressive speed in transition and her
ability to finish at the rim. This fall, she will play for Karen Aston at
Texas, joining McDonald’s All American teammate Brooke McCarty.
KELSEY MITCHELL - #3
Height: 5-8
Position: Guard • Princeton High School, OH
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH • College: Ohio State
PPG: 27.1 • RPG: 4.6 • APG: 6.4
Mitchell is a high-powered scorer with the ability to carry a team
offensively. A versatile player, Mitchell can finish at the rim in traffic but
also hit long-range shots consistently. Mitchell is also a tenacious
defender and has excellent court vision on both ends of the floor. A
success in the classroom, Mitchell was named to her conference AllAcademic team from 2010-2013 and is an honor roll student. Next
season, Mitchell will join her twin sister, Chelsea, to play at Ohio State
for head coach Kevin McGuff and her father, Mark, an assistant coach
on the staff.
SHAKAYLA THOMAS - #20
Height: 6-0
Position: Guard/Forward • Sylacauga High School, AL
Hometown: Sylacauga, AL • College: Florida State
PPG: 34 • RPG: 5.4 • SPG: 5.2
Thomas is a physical offensive player that uses her speed and
athleticism to attack the basket. With a long wingspan and jumping
ability, she is an effective rebounder on both ends of the court. Thomas
has a knack for scoring and uses her variety of offensive skills to score
points in bunches. Thomas compares her game to that of 2003
McDonald’s All American, LeBron James. Next fall, Thomas will play for
Sue Semrau at Florida State, becoming the fourth female McDonald’s
All American to play for the Seminoles.
BRIANNA TURNER - #11 Height: 6-3
Position: Forward • Manvel High School, TX
Hometown: Pearland, TX • College: Notre Dame
PPG: 20.3 • RPG: 11.4 • BPG: 3.6
Turner dominates opponents on the defensive end of the floor with her
height and explosive athleticism, altering shots and preventing traffic in
the lane. Offensively, Turner is a polished post player with a developed
mid-range game. Turner is excellent in transition and many times
converts the defensive rebounds she collects into points for her team.
Both of Turner’s parents played college basketball with her father
playing at Lamar and her mother playing at Houston. Turner will join
fellow McDonald’s All American Kathryn Westbeld to play for Muffet
McGraw at Notre Dame next season.
JATARIE WHITE - #40 Height: 6-4
Position: Forward/Center • Providence Day School, NC
Hometown: Charlotte, NC • College: South Carolina
PPG: 22.5 • RPG: 9 • BPG: 2.4
White has great strength and aggressively attacks the basket. A solid
low-post finisher, she’s able to execute in heavy traffic and is very
assertive offensively. An excellent defender, White can shut down
opposing team’s post players, blocking and altering shots at will.
Thanks to her height, athleticism and scoring ability, White compares
her on-court style to that of 2002 McDonald’s All American, Chris Bosh.
She will join fellow McDonald’s All American, Bianca Cuevas, to play for
Dawn Staley at South Carolina next season.
A’JA WILSON - #22
Height: 6-4
Position: Guard/Forward • Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, SC
Hometown: Hopkins, SC • College: Undecided
PPG: 35.7 • RPG: 14.6 • BPG: 4.7
With great footwork and balance, Wilson can attack the basket and
score with ease. She uses her athleticism and quickness to get out in
transition, run the floor and score quickly. At 6-4, Wilson uses her height
and strength to play through contact, finish at the rim and consistently
reach the foul line. Wilson models her game after 2004 McDonald’s All
American, Candace Parker. She’s the sixth girls player from South
Carolina to play in the Games. She remains undecided on her college
selection* but is considering Connecticut, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Tennessee.