The Metro Lady Celtics out of Maryland have gotten off to a fast start with a group of talented players from the Class of 2017, and their coach believes that his club still has room for improvement.
“We have been playing very well. We had four returning players, and we added seven players, and they have meshed together very quickly,” said Coach Willie Whitley. “They went out and won the first three tournaments of the year. They are still learning, but I’ve been very pleased with how they have played.”
The Lady Celtics will be facing another serious challenge in the coming weeks when they compete at the DC Nationals, which will be played from July 6-8. The DC Nationals will be held at the NEW 24 facility in District Heights, MD.
The Lady Celtics are powered by five rising sophomores. Whitley calls them his “core girls,” and they are all getting interest from the college coaches. The group includes Stephanie Guihon (5-4, PG), Daija Warren (5-4, SG), Brittany Whitley (5-8, F), Briana White (5-8, F) and Bri Jenae’ Phillips (6-1, P).
“Stephanie is very poised, and she is a true leader on and off the court. She had the ability to allow the game to come to her, and she doesn’t rush things,” Whitley said. “Daija is very energetic, very quick, and very athletic. She is more of a scorer instead of a shooter. Brittany (the coach’s daughter) started as a freshman at Oxon Hill, and she is the type of player that does the little intangible things. She is our utility player, and she makes everyone around her better.
“Briana is a tremendous defensive player who is working on her skills. She is becoming a good spot up shooter, and she is our vocal, inspirational leader. Bri Jenae’ is our anchor in the post. She has good hands, and she comes up with the key block or the key rebound for us.”
Bret McCormick, the analyst for the All Star Girls Report, added his perspective on the Metro Lady Celtics’ top prospects:
Stephanie Guihon: “She is very quick and she can really attack the basket. She can take it coast to coast, and she has three-point range.”
Daija Warren: “Warren is another quick athlete. She has a nice pull-up jumper, and she can step out beyond the arc.”
Brittany Whitley: “Whitley is a blue collar player with a high motor. She rebounds and defends and just gets it done.”
Briana White: “White is a good athlete who is very skilled. She can do it all, she is a smart player, and she shoots the three.”
Bri Jenae’ Phillips: “Phillips is a solid inside presence who scores inside and blocks shots in the paint.”