Anderson claims first outright POTY award

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Chilton County High School’s Iasia Anderson is The Clanton Advertiser’s girls basketball player of the year for the 2023-2024 season. Anderson captures the award outright after claiming a share of it the last two seasons.

The junior posted nearly 15 points per game at 14.9, and continued to expand her game and fill the stat sheet with 12 triple-doubles throughout the season. Anderson led the AHSAA across all classifications in steals and assists per game at 9 and 8.9, respectively, according to MaxPreps. She also grabbed 7.9 rebounds per game as a point guard.

“I think Iasia added certain things to her game this year, and I think she developed a better overall game,” CCHS head coach Rickey Pulliam said. “We all know Iasia can score the basketball, but I think her adapting to the game to make the girls around her better made our whole team better. She added things that made us and her better.”

Anderson’s overall output went down a bit from the previous season when she averaged 18.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG and 8.1 APG, but it was the depth of the CCHS roster that contributed to that. Anderson had senior Tyeshia Williams back in the fold, and huge steps were taken by players like Ishunti Brown and Ivyonna Varner. Anderson saw that and knew she could feel comfortable deferring to them more during season, and that mindset propelled the Tigers to 21 wins and a Sweet 16 appearance in Birmingham.

“Iasia found out this past summer that the other girls can really score now,” Pulliam said. “Iasia gained confidence because she knew she did not have to do everything by herself, and that took a lot of pressure off of her this year and she could just go out, have fun and play basketball instead of carrying the team on her shoulders.”

Heading into her senior season, all teams by now have seen Anderson play and know her game well. Pulliam and the CCHS staff are working with her to identify those areas in her skillset where teams are trying to exploit and improve that. He added that the junior is now buying in more to things that will make her a better player, hopefully leading to a successful senior campaign next season.

Honorable mention: Amelia Fjeldstad, Isabella High School

Isabella High School’s Amelia Fjeldstad ended her high school basketball career on a high, leading Chilton County in scoring for the 2023-2024 season at 17.2 points per game. The senior surpassed 1,500 career points at Isabella during the season and finished close to 1,750 points. Fjeldstad was described as the “complete package as a player for the program” by Isabella head coach Jared Day following her 15-point game in the sub-regionals on Feb. 9.

2023-2024 The Clanton Advertiser All-County Team

Iasia Anderson, Chilton County, Jr. (14.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 8.9 APG, 9 SPG, 12 triple doubles)

Tyeshia Williams, Chilton County, Sr. (10 PPG, 17.1 RPG, 5 APG, 5 SPG, 4 BPG, 12 double-doubles)

Ishunti Brown, Chilton County, Jr. (11 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 19 double-doubles)

Ivyonna Varner, Chilton County, So. (11 PPG, 4.3 SPG)

Zariyah Johnson, Jemison, Jr. (14.2 PPG, 4.9 SPG, 3.8 RPG, 3 APG)

Trinity Bean, Jemison, So. (12.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3 APG, 2.5 SPG)

Braelyn Bradford, Jemison, Jr. (6.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.4 APG)

Makinley Turner, Thorsby, Sr. (16 PPG, 5 APG, 5 RPG)

Brooklyn Reeser, Thorsby, So. (13 PPG, 6 RPG, 4 SPG)

Amelia Fjeldstad, Isabella, Sr. (17.2 PPG)

Lexi Higgins, Isabella, Sr. (12 PPG)

Makayla Logan, Isabella, Sr. (10 PPG)

Kamylia Talley, Maplesville, Fr. (15.7 PPG, 5 APG, 3.2 RPG)

Takeira Bailey, Maplesville, So. (7.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG)

Jaden McGee, Maplesville, So. (7.1 PPG, 6 RPG)

Gabby Waters, Verbena, Sr.

The post Anderson claims first outright POTY award appeared first on The Clanton Advertiser .