To get a good idea who might be the greatest high school girls basketball players in New York state history, all you have to do is look at an alumni list from
Christ the King (Middle Village).
The New York City school has featured some of the greatest teams in state and national history. Some of the players who led the Royals to championships find a prominent spot in the all-time starting five for the Empire State as chosen by MaxPreps.
Breanna Stewart in action for Cicero-North Syracuse at the 2011 Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona(Photo: James Conrad)
Sue Bird, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), Class of 1998
High school: Bird spent her final two seasons at Christ the King after playing at Syosset her first two seasons. She led Royals to a New York state championship as a senior and a No. 1 national ranking. She earned All-American honors by the WBCA and state player of the year recognition.
College: At Connecticut, the Huskies went 114-4 while Bird was on the team. She won two NCAA championships and was the Naismith award winner as a senior, recognizing her as the nation's top player.
Professional: Made the WNBA All-Star Game 13 times and made the All-WNBA first team five times. She's won five gold medals in the Olympic Games.
Chamique Holdsclaw, Christ the King, 1995
High school: Holdsclaw earned national player of the year honors by winning the Naismith Award as a senior. She led the Royals to four straight state championships. She averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds as a senior.
College: While at Tennessee, Holdsclaw led the Volunteers to three NCAA championships. She was a two-time player of the year by the Associated Press, Honda, Atlanta Tip-off Club (Naismith Award), the WBCA and the USBWA.
Professional: Played 14 seasons in the WNBA and was a six-time All-Star. She is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Nancy Lieberman, Far Rockaway (N.Y.), 1976
High school: Led her high school team to the city championship game as a sophomore. As a junior, she tried out for the United States national team and made the squad, allowing her to play in the Pan-American Games and the Olympics (1976).
College: At Old Dominion, Lieberman earned the Honda Award as the national player of the year in 1979 and 1980. She also has a college award named after her as the Nancy Lieberman Award goes to the top point guard in the NCAA.
Professional: Lieberman played in various women's, and men's, professional leagues following graduation from college. She also played one year in the WNBA at the age of 39 and one game in 2008 at the age of 50. She is a member of the Basketball and Women's Basketball Halls of Fame.
Tina Charles, Christ the King, 2006
High school: Averaging 26.5 points and 14.8 rebounds, Charles led the Royals to 57 straight wins and a No. 1 ranking by USA Today in 2006. She was also the national player of the year by the WBCA, McDonald's, USA Today and Gatorade.
College: A two-time NCAA champion at Connecticut, Charles won the John Wooden Award as the nation's top player in 2010.
Professional: An eight-time WNBA All-Star, Charles was the league's MVP in 2012 and was a five-time first team All-WNBA selection.
Breanna Stewart, Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.), 2012
High school: Stewart was a five-year starter on the varsity and earned national player of the year honors by Gatorade and the Atlanta Tip-Off Club.
College: A member of four straight NCAA championship teams at Connecticut, Stewart was the most outstanding player in the NCAA tournament all four years. She was also the consensus national player of the year three times.
Professional: In her seventh year in the WNBA, Stewart has been All-WNBA first team five times, is a two-time league MVP and a two-time league champion.
