Richardson takes WAW Player of the Year honors for third time

It is virtually impossible to quantify what Amber Richardson has meant to Linden High basketball. She has been, unequivocally, the best player in the county for three consecutive seasons and is now a three-time winner of The West Alabama Watchman Girls Basketball Player of the Year Award.

Having played out of position for most of her high school career, Richardson flashed her versatility again this season, averaging a double-double while leading her team to the Class 1A state semifinals.

Richardson averaged 20.3 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assist per game as a senior. During three seasons with the Lady Patriots, she posted a 60-16 record as a starter in a storied career that included one Regional Final appearance, a state semifinal appearance, and a state championship game appearance. She is a three-time finalist and one-time winner of the Alabama Sports Writers Association Player of the Year Award. She wraps her career with a total of 1,804 career points and 1,370 rebounds in 108 games played over five seasons between John Essex and Linden.

Coach of the Year honors again fall to Linden High’s Teressa Bolden. The Lady Patriots continued their stellar run despite losing key components and long-time starts Imiya Agee and Tomysha Boykin to graduation at the end of 2017.

Bolden plugged new players into those roles, preached her hard-working defensive-based system, and kept right along in 2018 by earning a trip to the state semifinals.

The 2018 West Alabama Watchman All-County Girls Basketball Team appears in its entirety below.

FIRST TEAM

Amber Richardson, Sr. – Linden

J’Mya Hall, So. – Marengo

Aniya Johnson, So. – Demopolis

Dajia Miller, Sr. – Linden

Akayla McGhee, Jr. – A.L. Johnson

 

SECOND TEAM

Shakesaney Bell, Sr. – Demopolis

Tyroneisha Charleston, Jr. – Linden

Angela Bouler, Sr.. – Marengo

Amya Collins, So. – A.L. Johnson

Kadijah Crispin, So. – Marengo