Dade girls’ basketball preview: Baylor signee aiming to extend Country Day’s title reign
It’s a little over half an hour before girls’ basketball practice is set to begin at Miami Country Day.
Sitting against a wall just outside the entrance of the school’s gym, Kayla Nelms is busy doing schoolwork.
A sticker with the logo of Baylor University, the school Nelms signed with last week, decorates her laptop as she stares at the screen intently waiting to go online for a quick Zoom meeting for one of her classes.
There’s no such thing as too early for Nelms, who is used to working out at 5:30 a.m. and then joining her teammates in a shootaround at 7:15 a.m. before the school day begins.
Miami Country Day has been one of the state’s elite girls’ basketball teams for over a decade.
In recent years, Nelms, a 6-2 senior forward, has set the tone for that success.
“I think she has something to prove,” Miami Country Day coach Ochiel Swaby said. “There’s some pressure that comes with signing with a school like Baylor. She’s going to get a lot of attention, but we believe in her.”
Nelms, who would like to be a veterinarian in the future, has never been more eager to start a season after her last was cut short.
Nelms fractured a finger on her shooting hand in two places forcing her to miss the stretch run of Miami Country Day’s eighth state championship in the past 10 years.
The Spartans, though, could be better from the experience, according to Swaby.
Although Miami Country Day lost Kristina Godfrey, who is now at FAU, to graduation, several returning players including freshman guard Jalynn Belton and seniors Kaliyah Morales and Sofia Mendez played key roles in the team’s championship run.
The Spartans hope that experience coupled with Nelms’ return helps them start another string of consecutive titles.
“I’m excited because we have a lot of returning players and I think we’re going to take the next step and get back to nationals this year,” Nelms said. “Everybody kind of knows their role now and what they need to contribute to make sure we win.”
Nelms’ combo of size and ability to shoot from the mid-range and perimeter makes her one of the more versatile players in the state.
Nelms feels like her rebounding is what’s improved the most since the offseason.
“In some of the games, she dominated the glass this fall,” Swaby said. “One of the big things we needed to do was rebound and find help for her to rebound. Against bigger, stronger teams we struggled to rebound. We’re a little taller this year and our players are a little more confident in the paint.”
Having her back in the lineup is huge for Swaby’s team, but he said the confidence the supporting cast built will help alleviate other teams’ attention to Nelms on the court and open up opportunities for her to put up even bigger numbers this season.
“Everybody knows she’s our big dog. She eats first,” Swaby said. “And we know other teams will pay the most attention to her, double-team her and so forth, so if we can play well enough around her she’ll get the matchups 1-and-1. We’re a little more athletic and dynamic than we’ve been in a while. It’s just finding the right chemistry.”
MORE OUTLOOKS
▪ Miami High (23-7, 7A state semifinalist) has been a frequent visitor to Lakeland, advancing to the state final four six consecutive seasons. The Stingarees, however, have only brought home a state championship one during that span and have been denied each of the past two seasons by Orlando Dr. Phillips.
Miami High returns a roster that longtime coach Sam Baumgarten said is “extremely deep and has the ability to play inside and out” as it aims to make state visit No. 7 in a row and hopes it’s their lucky number in terms of bringing home the school’s fifth state title.
Junior guard Sydney Wilson leads the Stingarees coming off a first-team All-Dade sophomore season. Wilson will be joined by 6-1 junior forward Jamir Cook and 5-5 sophomore guard Kai Gibson. Should the Stingarees navigate through a challenging region that includes Lourdes, Doral Academy, Coral Springs, Miami Palmetto and a much-improved Miami Southridge squad, Dr. Phillips likely awaits as the Panthers are ranked in the top 25 nationally to begin the season.
▪ Norland (20-6, 5A regional finalist) hasn’t made it to Lakeland since 2015, but has come close, making six trips to the regional finals in the past eight seasons. Earning another opportunity won’t be easy after the Vikings lost several players to graduation and transfers. But 5-8 senior guard Shania Swan, who averaged 14.4 points per game last season, remains one of the county’s best. Swan and 5-8 senior guard Jasmine Johnson lead the Vikings.
▪ Southridge (13-6) will be led by new coach Ben Drummer, who comes over from Somerset Silver Palms. The Spartans had an influx of talent led by 6-1 senior forward Shanaii Gamble, which should put them among the top playoff contenders in Class 6A.
▪ Doral Academy (10-14, 7A regional quarterfinalist) will try to return to the playoffs and is now coached by former Lourdes Academy star Allison Bustamante, who compiled a 74-34 record over the past six seasons at Carrollton.
The Firebirds return a potent backcourt led by junior Angelina DeLeon, a transfer from Palmer Trinity, and a trio of guards Victoria Valle, a freshman, and sophomores Ashley Martinez and Stephanie Vega, who each transferred in from Somerset Silver Palms. Returning juniors Kennedy Yost and Gianna Robles complete one of the deepest rosters Doral has had in recent memory.
▪ Palmetto (16-8, 7A regional semifinalist) lost six seniors off its roster, including guards Aisha Bess and Adrianna Gilmore. The Panthers will try to regroup for another postseason run behind 5-10 senior guard Sami Anes and 6-0 senior forward Annalise Lindsay.
▪ North Miami (15-7, 5A regional quarterfinalist) returns one of the best frontcourt players in the county in sophomore Jadore Hayes (10.3 points, 15.4 rebounds per game). The Pioneers believe they can stretch the floor better this season with sophomore small forward Donnesha Morency.
▪ Lourdes (15-7, 6A regional quarterfinalist) returns 5-11 senior forward Luciana Picasso, a first-team All-Dade selection who averaged 16.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season. Guards Sophie Sandoval and Sophie Llevat will try to lead the Bobcats to another district title and perhaps more.
▪ Monsignor Pace (4A regional semifinalist) will be led once again by 5-7 junior point guard Alessandra Bonilla and 5-7 senior shooting guard Catherine Guillaume. The Spartans lost in the second round by two points to state semifinalist Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons.
▪ Palmer Trinity (17-10, 3A regional quarterfinalist) graduated star guard Emily Montes (Columbia University), but return a quartet of talented guards in 5-11 senior Jade Leon, 5-7 freshman Emma Esparza, 5-6 senior Mati Veloso and 5-2 eighth grade guard Missy Nieves.
▪ Ferguson (16-8) returned 11 of its 12 players from last year and hopes the chemistry and tougher schedule prepare it for a playoff push. The Falcons are led by senior forward Masielle Peralta and junior guard Sophia Diaz.
▪ Ransom Everglades (17-10, 3A regional quarterfinalist) has 5-10 senior forward Gabriela Pena leading a young group that hopes to return to the postseason.
▪ Carrollton (14-5, 3A regional quarterfinalist) is led by the trio of A5-5 sophomore guard Alissa Azcuy, 5-6 sophomore point guard Sela Travieso and 5-9 junior forward Gabriela Garcia-Pons.
▪ Braddock (12-9) will be led by junior guard Elsa Stier and senior guard Yvonne Jebian.
▪ Miami Central (4-13) will be led by junior 5-8 guard Corianna Warner (10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists per game last season). Freshman guard Damaria Gatlin could be a breakout player.
▪ American (4-10) will be led by junior guard Lajahnique Olive and sophomores Amaris Dominguez and Allison Pena.
▪ Gulliver (11-13) lost only one senior and hopes for a bounce-back season led by 5-9 freshman point guard Mikayla Brown.
▪ La Salle (15-7) will rely on a seven-player rotation led by 5-4 senior guard Rachael Restrepo.
▪ Divine Savior (11-6) will be led by senior 6-foot forward Sofia Mueller.
This story was originally published November 15, 2023 at 11:56 AM.
