Doral’s Stephanie Vega is the 7A-4A Dade Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year
Stephanie Vega, a senior at Doral Academy, had spent years working towards becoming a state champion.
Last month, she and her Firebirds’ teammates finally felt what that was like when she helped them secure that elusive first state championship for their program.
Along the way, Vega became one of the most versatile guard/forwards in the state.
And so, Vega is the Miami Herald’s Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year for Miami-Dade County in Classes 7A-4A.
“I’m still processing this (championship) and I’m like (dang), we did that,” Vega said. “Walking around the school, they’re so proud of us. It’s still an amazing feeling.”
Vega had been waiting to experience this since the fifth grade, playing basketball with some of her future teammates like guard Ashley Martinez.
Vega had experienced the pain of losing at state each of the past two seasons.
But this season, when the time came to deliver, Vega didn’t let the opportunity slip away.
Vega scored 24 points in the Class 7A state semifinals to lead Doral over Port St. Lucie Centennial and to its first ever win at the state final four.
Vega then dropped another 22 points in the state final to help the Firebirds dethrone defending state champion Winter Haven.
Along the way, Vega, a 5-7 guard who is being projected by some as a small forward at the next level, averaged 18 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
“I played as a guard before, but I feel like I improved a lot more handling the ball and shooting the ball this past season,” Vega said.
