Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — With the recent conclusion of yet another memorable H-DNL girls basketball season, it’s time to turn our attention towards the Humboldt Sports end-of-season awards.

And that includes our girls and boys player of the year.

As usual, there was no shortage of worthy candidates from across the nine league varsity programs, with several standouts playing key roles for their teams along the way.

Once again, the H-DNL was well represented in the North Coast Section and state playoffs, with the Ferndale Wildcats providing one of the moments of the season with their section championship win.

The St. Bernard’s girls also had a great season, following their Little 4 championship with a first-ever Dick Niclai tournament title.

Sophomore CJ Figas provided the highlight of the entire season with her game-clinching basket as time expired to cap a thrilling Niclai final.

The Arcata girls also enjoyed a big winter on the courts and completed an undefeated run through the Big 5 with a victory over three-time defending champs Eureka on the final night of the regular season to claim their first conference crown in seven years.

Our list of finalists includes seven players from five different teams, including both conference champions.

And as usual, it was a difficult task limiting the list of finalists down to just seven candidates.

Next weekend, we’ll announce our 2024/25 Girls Player of the Year, along with our Girls Team of the Year and our Girls Coach of the Year.

We’ll also be announcing the winners for our boys basketball awards.

Here then are our seven finalists for the 2024/25 Humboldt Sports Girls Player of the Year, a group that includes four seniors, two juniors and one sophomore.

Girls Player of the Year Finalists 

Tatum Fisher

McKinleyville, Senior

Along with teammate and fellow senior Gabby Watson, Fisher was the heartbeat of everything the Panthers did well this season. She earned the respect of opposing coaches every time she took the floor and was always the main focus of their game plans.

Laila Florvilus

St. Bernard’s, Senior

The three-time Little 4 MVP closed out her high school in memorable fashion, scoring 1,903 career points and leading the Crusaders to a first-ever Dick Niclai title and a 6-0 record against Big 5 teams in 2024/25.

Mayleah Jackson

Arcata, Senior

Jackson was a floor general for the Tigers with a court vision as good as any player in the H-DNL, and she did as good a job as any player in the Big 5 of setting her teammates up for success.

Ivy Lamebear

Hoopa, Senior

One of the most consistently dangerous threats in the H-DNL this winter, Lamebear led the Warriors with some inspirational performances and surpassed the 1,000 career points milestone in the final home game of her high school career.

Tiara Maualuga

Eureka, Sophomore

With Maualuga anchoring a very strong Eureka sophomore class, the Loggers should be Big 5 contenders again for the next two seasons. When she plays well, the Eureka girls are a difficult proposition for anyone.

Mae Wolford

Arcata, Junior

Co-MVP of the Big 5 along with her sister, Mae was another consistently dangerous all-around player who dominated the glass and averaged 13.8 points a game. She finished the season with 13 double-doubles, which was second best in the NCS.

Tae Wolford

Arcata, Junior

Like her sister, Tae is a consistent threat every time she takes the floor and seems to thrive under pressure, giving her teammates a boost at critical times. According to her head coach, Charlie Espinoza, Tae is “impossible to stop” when she’s on.