Each year since 2006, MaxPreps has recognized outstanding performers in prep girls basketball. America's source for high school sports continues the tradition to close out the 2023-24 season by naming the top player in each state. Selections are based on team success and individual excellence in addition to local and state accolades.
Syla Swords of
Long Island Lutheran (Brookville) is the 2023-24 New York MaxPreps Player of the Year. The 6-foot senior guard led the Crusaders to a 21-1 record, No. 1 national ranking and top seed in next month's Chipotle Nationals.
Swords is averaging 17.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.0 steals per game. A native of Sudbury, Ontario, she has represented Canada in international play and is a finalist for MaxPreps National Player of the Year.
Syla Swords of Long Island Lutheran is the 2023-24 New York MaxPreps Player of the Year. (Photo: Mark Jones)
Long Island Lutheran is 43-4 over the past two seasons thanks in part to Swords and sister Savannah, a sophomore forward.
Regarded as a top 15 prospect in the Class of 2024, Swords signed with Michigan in November.
"We always talk about finding different ways to impact the game and I think Syla embodies that," Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico said of Swords. "It's like she is always one step ahead in figuring out what her team needs – she can find a teammate when that's the right play, she will go get a rebound when her team needs an extra possession, she will come up with the defensive stop when her team needs the ball back. She just impacts the game in so many different ways and it doesn't always have to be with the ball in her hands."
Each state's MaxPreps Player of the Year will be considered for inclusion in the MaxPreps All-America Team, which is scheduled to be released April 11. Past selections include 2023 WNBA Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart (2012) as well as 2023 All-WNBA first team picks Napheesa Collier (2015), Alyssa Thomas (2010) and A'ja Wilson (2014).
Past New York MaxPreps Players of the Year2021-22 — Paris Clark, Long Island Lutheran (Brookville)
2022-23 — Kayleigh Heckel, Long Island Lutheran (Brookville)
