The Wichita Eagle announces 2026 All-Metro high school girls basketball team
The Wichita Eagle has announced its annual All-Metro girls basketball team for the 2025-26 season, honoring the top performers from the Wichita area after another standout year on the hardwood.
The team spotlights the best players and coaches from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties with selections based on a combination of statistics, team success, postseason honors and feedback from area coaches. Rather than simply naming the most talented players, the All-Metro team aims to capture the season’s most complete standouts — the players whose production, winning and overall impact defined girls basketball in the Wichita area.
Leading this year’s selections is Andover junior Bella Bouddhara, who was named the All-Metro Player of the Year after starring for a 25-2 team that finished third at the Class 5A state tournament. Bouddhara filled the stat sheet all season, averaging 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.8 steals while knocking down 84 3-pointers.
Wichita Eagle All-Metro girls basketball team
Macayla Askew, Derby senior
A 6-foot senior bound for Elon, Askew was the do-it-all engine behind another big season at Derby. She helped lead the Panthers to a 23-5 record, a trip to the Class 6A state semifinals and a fourth-place finish, while pacing the team in every major category: 14.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 3.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. A three-time All-Metro pick, Askew also landed in The Eagle’s top 10 players in Kansas for a second straight season.
Bella Bouddhara, Andover junior
Bouddhara’s breakout into All-Metro Player of the Year felt like the natural next step for one of the Wichita area’s brightest rising stars. The 5-foot-8 junior guard powered Andover to a 25-2 record and a third-place finish in Class 5A while averaging 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.8 steals per game. She also buried 84 3s, earned her second straight All-Metro selection and was also named one of The Eagle’s top 10 players in the state. She further cemented her status as one of Kansas’ top 2027 recruits, already with a Wichita State offer.
Zoey Buckner-Franklin, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
Three years in, Buckner-Franklin is a perfect 3-for-3 on All-Metro selections. The 5-foot-6 point guard was the driving force behind Kapaun’s 19-win season and Class 5A state tournament berth, as she nearly carried the Crusaders past eventual runner-up Hays in the opening round. Already past 1,000 career points, Buckner-Franklin put together a dazzling junior season by averaging 26.8 points while shooting 51% from the field, 43% from 3 and 80% at the line. With a Wichita State offer already in hand, she has established herself as one of the top 2027 recruits in Kansas and was also named one of The Eagle’s top 10 players in the state.
Jada Davis, East freshman
Davis didn’t play like a freshman. From the opening weeks of the season, the 6-foot-1 guard was a star, helping power the Blue Aces to a 22-6 record, a third-place finish in Class 6A and the program’s first state semifinal appearance since 1982. In a Wichita area class loaded with freshman talent, including teammate Miya Respress, Davis still managed to stand out by averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.8 steals while impacting the game in just about every way possible. She is already viewed as one of the top players in Kansas in the 2029 class with multiple Division I offers already.
Destiny Maze, Heights junior
Her game expanded right along with Heights’ rise. A 5-foot-8 junior who already made her mark as a defender, she took on a bigger offensive role this season and thrived, averaging 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals. That all-around production helped drive the Falcons to a 24-1 record, an undefeated City League title and a Class 6A state tournament berth. Maze, a first-time All-Metro choice, was one-third of a trio that helped turn Heights into a machine, which also included Aniyah Harris and Aaliyah Waller.
Avery McCorry, Bishop Carroll senior
McCorry gave Carroll a little bit of everything. The 5-foot-10 standout, a first-time All-Metro selection and Washburn signee, served as the engine for a Golden Eagles team that won 16 games and reached a Class 5A sub-state final. She averaged 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.3 steals per game, while also earning third-team all-state honors in Class 5A from The Eagle.
Jaela Thompson, Maize South junior
Thompson stuffed the stat sheet all season for Maize South and rarely came off the floor without leaving her mark on the game. The 5-foot-10 guard blended scoring, playmaking and defense at a high level, averaging 16.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.8 steals. She helped guide Maize South to a 21-4 record and another trip to the Class 5A state tournament, where the Mavericks drew eventual champion St. James in the opening round. Her all-around impact was also recognized with her second straight All-Metro selection.
Addisen Wills, Halstead senior
Wills set the tone for one of the best seasons in Halstead history. The 5-foot-7 point guard, a first-time All-Metro pick and Ottawa signee, helped lead the Dragons to a 27-1 record and a third-place finish at the Class 3A state tournament while earning first-team all-state honors. A relentless defender, Wills averaged 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 5.3 steals with coach Derek Schutte calling her the best defender in Class 3A. She also finished her career as Halstead’s record holder for assists and steals, both in a season and over a career.
Jen Pillich, Heights coach
Pillich lovingly called her group a bunch of misfits, then turned them into the area’s most dominant team. In her first season as a high school head coach, she transformed Heights with a new culture and a belief system that helped multiple players flourish in expanded roles. The Falcons opened the season unranked, climbed to No. 1 in Kansas and carried an undefeated record into the Class 6A state tournament before finishing 24-1 with a perfect run through the City League. With key contributions from Aniyah Harris, Destiny Maze, Aaliyah Waller, Jocelyn Rose, Terri Brown, Jessiah Dingle, Ashlynn Reed and Zariah Reed, Pillich quickly built a deep, connected team that became one of the Wichita area’s best stories of the season.
All-Metro second team
Justine Berlin, Clearwater senior
Raegen Black, Cheney senior
Kaylee Brunton, Maize South senior
Queen Chalmers, Southeast sophomore
Aysia Fox, Derby junior
Brooke Grimes, Andale senior
Grier Hand, Andover junior
Aniyah Harris, Heights senior
Valentina Hart, South senior
Emily O’Brien, Remington senior
Brittani Peschel, Mulvane sophomore
Miya Respress, East freshman
Mallori Rose, Eisenhower sophomore
Piper Schroeder, Halstead junior
Brooke Steven, Bishop Carroll junior
Reese Stuhlsatz, Garden Plain senior
Aaliyah Waller, Heights freshman
Heidi Williams, Maize freshman
Abbi Winter, Andale junior
Willie Davis, East coach
Derek Schutte, Halstead coach
All-Metro third team
Bailey Bernal, Halstead junior
Payton Blue, Eisenhower senior
Siaunna Carter, Derby sophomore
Payton Converse, Andover Central junior
Emmie Cooper, Campus junior
Avery Davison, Valley Center senior
Ka’Mya Gantt, Southeast senior
Jenna Hadley, El Dorado senior
Makena Hampton, Clearwater junior
Aubrey Haukap, Garden Plain sophomore
Amiyah Kates, East freshman
Elaina Magana, Central Christian junior
Fionna Morgan, Berean senior
Ragan Pfeifer, Augusta senior
Rylee Pfeifer, Augusta senior
McCoy Phister, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Jacy Proctor, Hesston sophomore
Evy Romer, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
Joanna Ross, North senior
Jordy Schroeder, Halstead junior
Presley Schmidt, Goddard junior
Kylie Schwanke, Mulvane senior
Alex Scribner, Flinthills senior
Aliyah Singhateh, Maize South senior
Mayla Spexarth, Andale senior
Lauren Swilley, Circle senior
Asia’h Sullivan, Andover junior
Ella Vondracek, Sedgwick sophomore
Landry Voth, Cheney sophomore
Reese Wilborn, Andover Central junior
Thasanee Wilmeth, Trinity senior
Callie Yoder, Hesston senior
Hannah Alexander, Andover coach
Bryan Chadwick, Derby coach
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