2025 Award Recipients

Alberta Shooting Stars

2025 Award Winners

Jr. High Player of the Year

Kaia Anderson, Barnwell School

• She is considered the greatest player in her school's history and is an outstanding shooter with elite ball handling and passing skills
• Kaia is a leader who elevates the level of her team mates, and the driving force behind her teams success
• Her Athletic Director said that Kaia is a kind and caring leader of their school

Jr. High Player of the Year

Poppy Jones, Red Deer Lake School

• Poppy led her team in scoring this season
• She was named MVP of the Hunting Hills Tournament and helped lead her team to the South Central Zone Championships in 2024 and 2025
• Her coach says that she is a great team mate and an excellent coach of younger players

JV Player of the Year

Isabelle McLean, William Aberhart High School

• Isabelle was the consummate point guard for their team this season and led her team to 3 playoff wins including their first ever Calgary Division 1 Junior City Championship
• With a high basketball IQ, she did everything asked of her offensively and defensively and she stood out in the playoffs averaging 20 points, 7 assists, 8 steals and 5 rebounds
• She fought through a myriad of injuries, she still suited up for all her games leading her team to a 16-3 record

Rising Star Award

Esther Cage, Catholic Central High School

• Esther averaged 35 minutes per game as a rookie this season and she averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds despite her 5'2 frame
• She is a multi skills athlete who excelled on both sides of the ball, was named her teams most valuable player and was named an all-star player or player of the game in each tournament she played in
• Her coach said that she will be an unstoppable force in the Prairie Sky League next season

"A" Rookie of the Year

Amber Ellert, Foremost High School

• Amber has played 3 years of club basketball, has attended 5 NBC camps and a scouting ID camp at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma
• She is a well-rounded player who excels on both sides of the court and helped her young team improve each week
• Amber helped lead her team to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes at tournaments and she was named an all-star in the River Ridge League
• She averaged 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists

 "2A" Rookie of the Year

Naamiya Hoekstra, Taber Christian

• Naamiya  scored 22.6 points per game this season and at Provincials she averaged 30 points and 20 rebounds and was instrumental in her teams bronze medal at Provincials
• She has the ability to take over a game offensively and defensively and helped her team to a 3J Zone Championship in Grade 9
• In 2024 she war part of an NBC team that toured England and has participated on the Jr. Horns, Taber Grizzlies and Lethbridge Academy

"4A" Rookie of the Year

Sadie Secord, Centennial High School

• Sadie averaged 20.7 points per game on a talented team. She scored 30 pointsya  or more in 4 different games and hit 7 three's in one game
• She is a very talented offensive player that is tough defend, and is an excellent ball handler with the lowest turnover margin on her team
• Sadie was a starter on her team that won a Calgary City Championship and a bronze medal at Provincials
• She is a player to watch the next 2 years

"4A" Rookie of the Year

Addison Yee, Centennial High School

• Addison was the starting point guard on her team that won the Calgary City Championship and a Bronze at Provincials
• She was her teams most efficient player and averaged 11.3 points per game and she recorded two double doubles this year
• Addison is an extremely durable player who played every game this season
• Her coach says that "her poise, composure, quickness, speed and court vision were essential to their teams success"

"2A" Grade 11 Player of the Year

Maya Carter, Bearspaw Christian School

• Maya averaged 22 points per game with a game high of 36 points
• She helped her team to 2 second place finishes and 2 championships and prior to her school season, Maya helped her Diamond League team win the Gold medal
• Maya has had to travel great distances to play school basketball
• Her coach says of Maya "her presence on the court makes an immediate difference and she has the ability to change the trajectory of a game"

"2A" Grade 11 Player of the Year

Maia Rossworm, Immauel Christian

• Maia averaged 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals on a talented team
• Offensively, she is dynamic and sees the court very well and she was instrumental in helping her team to a South Zone Championship as well a 2A Provincial Championship
• Maia's coach calls her a "menace on defense" and that she is able to bring out the best in her team mates.

"4A" Grade 11 Player of the Year

Amanda Guss, Western Canada High School

• Amanda was the Shooting Stars 4A Rookie of the Year last year and has earned numerous all-star and MVP awards
• She strives for academic and athletic excellence and is known for her all-round skills as she excels on both ends of the court
• Amanda helped her team to a silver medal at the 2024 4A Provincials and has played for Team Alberta for 3 years earning a National bronze last year

"A" Player of the Year

Emily Talbot, Coalhurst High School

• Emily averaged 17 points per game and played almost every minute of games
• Last year, she was named her teams MVP and Leadership Award winner, was the first team all-star in Grade 10 and 11 and she led her team to a Zone Championship as well as the A Provincial Championship in a one point win
• Her coach calls her "the heartbeat of the team" and a well rounded player. They also say that she is exceptionally talented, but it is her humility, leadership and commitment to her team that makes her special

"2A" Player of the Year

Alyssa Buwalda, Calgary Christian

• Alyssa is a talented 6'1 post who controls the game both offensively and defensively and has a high basketball IQ which makes her an outstanding rebounder and elite defender
• She helped her team earn Provincial medals in all 3 years of high school and was named as one of the top players at the 2023 Western ID Camp
• She has signed with Simon Fraser University

"2A" Player of the Year

Hayden Van't Land, Immanuel Christian High School

• Hayden averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists and is a lock down defender during her season. At Provincials, she averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 6 steals
• She is able to score from anywhere on the court due to her speed and athleticism
• Her coach indicates that she shines in high pressure situations and was instrumental in her team winning 3 consecutive 2A Provincial Championships
• Hayden is one of a select few players that have earned 4 major Shooting Stars Awards
• She has signed to play with the University of Lethbridge next year

"3A" Player of the Year

Kira Airey, West Island College

• Kira is one of the most dominant players in the history of 3A basketball. She has an extensive knowledge of the game and is a selfless and positive leader who helps make everyone better
• Over her career she averaged 25 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. This season she led her team to two 2nd place finishes and 2 championships at tournaments, earning an all-star award at all 4 tournaments
• In the last two years her team has eared s2 CISAA league banners and 2 Calgary Zone Championships and Kira was a key member of the Alberta Provincial team for 3 years
• She was heavily recruited by USPORT teams, and has committed to the University of Alberta Pandas

"4A" Player of the Year

Victoria Davson, Strathcona High School

• Victoria led her team in scoring and is one of the elite defenders and top all round players in Alberta
• In her senior season, she averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists
• She was named a Metro All-Star the past 2 seasons and the past 2 summers she was a member of the U17 Alberta Provincial team
• This year her team won their first Edmonton City Championship and 4A Provincial Championship
• Victoria has led her team to 3 consecutive 4A Provincial appearances
• She has signed with the University of Alberta Pandas for next season

Harle Heart Award

Alexis Johnson-Artis, William Aberhart

This years recipient of the Harle Heart Award is very deserving, having showed a great deal of heart and resiliency both on and off the court. She epitomizes the spirit of Shawnee Harle. Alexis has experienced more personal challenges off the court than most players her age and these challenges have contributed to her strength and determined nature. Many coaches have recognized her leadership capabilities and she has been named captain of her school team for the past 3 seasons. As a leader, she is often seen encouraging others and drawing up plays for team mates who have missed practiced. She has played basketball for five years. During these years, she only had a couple of minor injuries until this season. After establishing herself as a starter for her team, she suffered numerous setbacks including a broken finger, calf tear, broken nose and a concussion. Alexis persevered and demonstrated both physical and mental toughness this season. She played with a broken finger to ensure her team advanced to a tournament final. She even bravely returned to play in the City Championship four days after injuring her nose. Wearing a face guard, she played 37 minutes of solid defense on players of all positions. Battling the adversity of injuries all season was worth it, as the William Aberhart Orange won their first ever Calgary City Junior Championship!

Coach's Hall of Fame

Dave Wooldridge, Red Deer Lake School

Dave played for both the UofC Dinos and the UofA Golden Bears where he eared his undergraduate degrees. He holds his Masters of Education from Gonzaga University in Spokane. He has coached for over 40 years at every level including community, club, school and college. Dave has coached teams to over 40 league and zone championships, he has led his teams to 3 Provincial Championships. He has coached over 120 athletes who went on to play at post-secondary institutions. He has also coached a 4A Foothills Composite team to a silver medal at Provincials. Dave has been the head of Big Rock club basketball for the past 30 years, having coached over 1000 athletes both male and female. He has organized dozens of school and club tournaments and can often be found volunteering at community events. He has also served as commissioner of several different leagues in the Foothills Athletic Conference. As one of the top coaches in the Province, his teams are always hard working and highly skilled - there is a reason why some many of his players go on to post-secondary excellence. He has a genuine love for his students and players and his true success comes from the positive relationships that he has formed.

Miss Basketball

Mishynn Miller, Lethbridge Collegiate

This talented, hardworking and classy athlete has been a force for the past 3 seasons. With her strength and physicality, she has battled through relentless double and triple teams as she is the focus of every opponent, which only fuels her focus and competitive spirit. She averaged 22 points, 15 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 3 blocks per game and she led her team to an undefeated South League season and an overall record of 28-3. Mishynn's team won a South Zone and Regional Championship and 4th place finish at Provincials, in the Provincial semi-finals she scored a season high of 32 points and snagged 18 rebounds to the eventual Provincial Champions, Strathcona. Mishynn is also an outstanding volleyball player where she was name the South League MVP in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, she played for the national Volleyball team. In 2024, she captained her volleyball team to their first ever 4A Provincial Championship. During basketball tournaments, she has earned numerous All-Star and MVP awards at Invitational tournaments and she was named the 2025 MVP for the Prairie Sky Conference. She is one of a handful of athletes who have earned 4 major Shooting Stars awards as last year she was the youngest player to be named co-Miss Basketball and this year she becomes one of only 3 athletes to ever be named Miss Basketball twice. This dual sport athlete has been one of the most coveted recruits in Western Canada and next season she will continue to wear Green and Gold as she is taking her talents to play for the University of Alberta Pandas. Congratulations on all your successes and best of luck as you pursue your basketball journey.