Autumn Fleary went from Baltimore prodigy to EYBL MVP — now what?

Sidwell Friends senior point guard and two-time All-Metro POY details her rise from McDonogh to D.C., an EYBL title with Team Takeover, and the four in her final mix — LSU, UNC, Duke, UCLA

Sidwell Friends girls basketball star Autumn Fleary is poised to cap a brilliant high school career this winter. / Sidwell Friends Girls Basketball

Sidwell Friends senior point guard Autumn Fleary crashed the prep basketball scene a few years back with a rare flair and panache for a player so young, earning Baltimore Sun 2022-2023 All-Metro Player of the Year honors as a mere freshman at McDonogh School. 

That wasn’t exactly a surprise to those within the local Baltimore hoops ecosystem, as Fleary’s name had been ringing bells prior to middle school when the precocious floor general was holding her own in rugged summer league games against the city’s top boys.  

Fleary Debuted with a Flurry as a Freshman at McDonogh

She led McDonogh, the No. 1 ranked team in the metro area, in scoring, assists and steals that freshman year en route to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship. In the conference title game against St. Frances, Fleary dazzled with a rare composure sprinkled with some pulsating electricity. She scored 17 points, snagged six rebounds, swiped four steals, dished out five assists and converted an And-One in the final seconds to secure the 50-47 victory.

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To call her prep debut auspicious would be an understatement. And she followed that up by setting the bar even higher as a sophomore, earning The Sun’s Player of the Year honor for the second consecutive season after averaging 16.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists and adding another IAAM A title. 

And when her team needed it most against Sidwell Friends, the No. 5 ranked team in the country, national power Paul VI and in the conference championship against St. Frances, she scorched for 29, 30 and 27 points respectively. 

Fleary transferred to Sidwell last year, drawn by the intoxicating allure of playing for a perennial nationally ranked program that travels across the country mixed into an academically rigorous institution that routinely sends graduates off to the Ivy League. She proceeded to earn Washington Post First Team All-Met honors and helped lead the Quakers to D.C. State Athletic Association and Independent School League championships. In the 67-62 win over Bullis in the ISL title game, she scored 29.

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Fresh off a spectacular summer campaign with Maryland’s Team Takeover, where she earned MVP honors in leading her squad to the prestigious Nike EYBL national championship, Fleary, who has whittled her final college choices down to LSU, North Carolina, Duke and UCLA, sat down to reflect on what she’s accomplished thus far, and what’s on her vision board for the near future.

Q&A with Autumn Fleary

Before we jump into your hoops journey, shed some light on young Autumn Fleary growing up in Baltimore.

“I have to start with my mom and dad, who sacrificed so much for me to pursue my dreams. They were always supportive and believed in me, which gave me confidence at a very early age. My mom is a property manager and my dad is an elementary school teacher that works with children that have autism and behavioral issues, so he’s a very patient person. When I was younger I was very shy and reserved.”

Were they athletes?

“My father competed in football and basketball at Cardinal Gibbons in Baltimore and he played college football at Morgan State University.”

Do you remember when you first became aware of your own athleticism?

“We used to have these races in elementary school and I would dust everybody. The teachers and adults would always comment, saying, ‘She’s fast, she’s going to be an athlete.’”

When did you recognize that you were gaining some separation from your peers on the basketball court?

“About the fourth grade and going into fifth. I was playing against some of the top boys in the country in my age group and holding my own. Some of the fathers were out there yelling at their sons, ‘You’re letting a girl beat you!!!’ Those type of reactions let me know.”

So as a shy, reserved kid, how did playing ball help you grow in terms of  social and communication skills?

“It took a little time. As a point guard, you’re the leader. I had to learn how to be vocal and at the same time supportive. What helped was that I was always playing with and against older players, so I was able to watch their different leadership styles. I borrowed some stuff here and there and incorporated my own things to create a style that felt comfortable for me.”

Who were your favorite players to watch when you were growing up?

“My dad would always take me to high school games in Baltimore. I naturally gravitated to the point guards. Two of my favorites were Nia Cloud at St. Frances, who went on to play at Michigan State and in the WNBA, and Jalen Rucker at Gilman, who played his college ball at Army.”

Who are you watching now, those point guards whose game speaks to your soul?

“I love watching Hanna Hidalgo at Notre Dame. I love the way she approaches the game with her attitude and demeanor. I see a lot of similarities in the way we both play. I watch a lot of Kyrie Irving, he’s one of my favorites, along with Kiki Rice at UCLA. And Maddy McDaniel at South Carolina set such a high standard for me to follow with Team Takeover. I tried to absorb everything she taught me.”

You’re a superstar in the classroom as well as on the basketball court. What are your favorite subjects?

“I like math. Numbers just click with me. There are multiple ways to go about solving complex problems, but there’s only one right answer. I also like this history class I’m taking now on American Pop Culture, which explores what it means to be human in today’s environment and the emotions that go along with that.”

What’s your favorite basketball movie and book?

“Uncle Drew is my favorite hoops film because of Kyrie Irving. The book is Wonder by R.J. Palacio. That story has stuck with me ever since I first read it back in the third grade.” 

You’ve accomplished so much during your high school career. What are your goals heading into your senior season?

“I want to win a conference, state and national championship. Individually, I want to be named the D.C. Player of the Year, the Gatorade National Player of the Year and be named to the McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American teams and the USA Hoops Summit squad.”

When opposing coaches are talking to players that have to guard you, what are they saying?

“That they better be ready because I’m going to be consistent and do whatever is necessary to help my team win. My mentality is not about stats, it’s about winning. I’m an efficient shooter in the midrange, from deep and I love playing downhill, running the fast break and attacking the basket. If you send a double team at me, I’m going to break that down and hit my teammate with a dime, so you have to pick and choose your battles when facing me. I’m hard to guard because you never know what I’m going to do when the ball is in my hands.”

What’s a small element of the game that you love, something the casual observer wouldn’t pay attention to?

“I love the transition game and playing at a faster pace, but with a controlled tempo. A simple thing that I enjoy is passing ahead in transition to get us going.”

When you reflect on your hoops journey so far, what do you think about?

“The fact that I’m extremely blessed to have these incredible opportunities. They didn’t come easy and there’s been adversity and challenges along the way. But my parents, trainers and coaches have all given me the strength to persevere and keep going, keep learning, keep growing. They believe in me as much as I believe in myself. That’s where my swag comes from. I know how lucky I am to be in this position right now, and I also know how hard I’ve worked to get here. So these amazing opportunities in front of me, I’m going to take full advantage of them.”