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Ë®¹ûÅÉAV's Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Charli Bennett, Southern Cayuga

After having her junior season cut short due to a torn ACL, Bennett bounced back in a big way her senior year. She led Southern Cayuga to an overall record of 14-8 by averaging 27.4 points, 17 rebounds, 4.8 steals, 2.7 assists and 1.6 blocks a game. Bennett capped off her Southern Cayuga tenure with 24 points and 19 rebounds against No. 1-seeded Newark Valley in the Section IV, Class C quarterfinals. For her efforts, she was named MVP of the Interscholastic Athletic Conference North Small School Division for a second straight season. Dropping in 603 points as a senior, Bennett also concluded her Southern Cayuga career as its all-time leading scorer with 1,881 points.

Kayla Flask, Weedsport

Flask helped lead the Wolverines to 19 wins for the third straight season. The junior averaged 16.1 points per game as she joined the 1,000-point club in Weedsport’s final regular-season matchup by tying her career high of 27 points. Of her 141 made field goals during the year, she dropped in 47 from beyond the arc. Flask also added 5.1 rebounds and a team-high 3.7 steals a game, making for the second consecutive season she averaged at least 16 points and three steals.

Jennifer Daum, Union Springs

The Wolves took down the 2024 Class C state champion Moravia in the Section IV, Class C quarterfinals behind a game-high 22 points from Daum. She also helped her team capture its fourth consecutive Cayuga County Holiday Basketball Tournament title by dropping in a game-high 19 points, which helped her earn tournament MVP. The junior averaged 16.2 points, nine rebounds and 1.9 blocks as Union Springs finished the season at 17-5. As a result, Daum earned first-team honors for the second straight season in the Interscholastic Athletic Conference North Small School Division.

Caraline Wasileski, Moravia

Wasileski led the Blue Devils to back-to-back IAC North Small School championships this past season with a performance of 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the finals. Moravia finished the season at 14-4, with Wasileski posting an average stat line of 14.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks. She was recognized for her junior outing by being named to the IAC North Small School Division first team for the first time.

Keegan McNabb, Weedsport 

Saving her best season for her senior year, McNabb was an integral piece of the Wolverines’ success in 2024-2025. She posted career-high averages in points (13.4), rebounds (seven) assists (2.3) and steals (two). One of the forward’s best performances came in a dominant 70-14 win over Pulaski on Jan. 16. She scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds — each just one below her career high.

Olivia Genson, Moravia

Moravia’s defense was dominant once again this past season as Genson took on the opponent’s top offensive option the majority of the time. The senior guard averaged 2.8 steals a game on her way to earning a spot on the IAC North Small School Division first team for the first time. On top of being a pest on defense, she added 9.1 rebounds, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists a game. 

Shaliyah Helmick, Auburn 

With the Maroons searching for a new go-to scorer following Peyton Maneri’s graduation last year, Helmick answered the call. She averaged a team-high 15.1 points a game to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals. The senior started her year memorably by scoring a career-high 31 points in the second game of the season against East Syracuse-Minoa. Helmick also closed out her time with Auburn on a strong note, netting 93 points over her team’s last four matchups. 

Allie Michel, Skaneateles

After averaging the second-most points per game (8.1) on the Lakers as a sophomore, Michel led the charge her junior year with 12.6. She set a career high in points four games into the season with 23 against Syracuse West. To add to her scoring, Michel put up 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 steals a matchup. She tallied 10 of her total 77 steals on Jan. 11 in a 40-30 win over Cato-Meridian.

Amber Clarke, Cato-Meridian

The Blue Devils ended the season at 11-10 for the second consecutive year, with Clarke leading them in scoring for a second straight season. The senior dropped in 12 points a game and scored a career-high 20 points on Jan. 14 in a 41-33 victory against Fabius-Pompey. She also racked up nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks in the win. Clarke concluded her year by averaging 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. 

Emma Taylor, Port Byron 

Taylor had the best scoring season of her Port Byron tenure as she paced the Panthers with 13 points a game. Along with her scoring, the junior forward also chipped in 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals. One of her best games of the year came in a contest with LaFayette on Jan. 31, where she posted a double-double of 18 points and 21 rebounds. Taylor also set a career high in points (20) in a matchup with Union Springs on Dec. 27. 

Honorable mentions

• Madison Kalet, Union Springs
• Jessalyn Jones, Moravia
• Brooke Chiaramonte, Jordan-Elbridge
• Mallory Brown, Weedsport 
• Allie Parker, Union Springs