Vote: Who is the Maryland Girls Basketball Player of the Week - Feb. 23, 2026

Nominees include Bishop McNamara's Qandace Samuels, Bullis' Ivanna Wilson-Manyacka, and Annapolis' McKenzie Fuller

High School On SI

February is almost over, and the Maryland high school basketball playoffs begin later this week. Once again, it's time to answer the question: Who was the Maryland Girls Basketball Player of the Week?

We looked at multiple counties and nominated 16 athletes for games played from Feb. 16-22.

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Congratulations to last week's winner: Eva Powell of Huntingtown.

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We ask you to check out this week's nominees below and cast your vote.

Voting ends Sunday, Mar. 1, at 11:59 p.m. PT. The winner will be announced next week. Here are the nominees.

Qandace Samuels, Bishop McNamara

Samuels continues to be one of the top players in the state of Maryland. The junior dropped a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds in Bishop McNamara's 65-42 victory over Paul VI (VA) in the WCAC semifinals.

Ivanna Wilson-Manyacka, Bullis

Wilson-Manyacka also continues to be one of the best in the Old Line State. The junior had the exact same stat line of 26 points and 12 rebounds in Bullis' 77-67 win over Sidwell.

Za'hria Higginbotham, Riverdale Baptist

Higginbotham, a junior, led Riverdale Baptist with 21 points in their 84-54 victory over New Hope Academy.

McKenzie Fuller, Annapolis

Fuller, a senior from last week's poll, finished with 24 points in Annapolis' 54-46 win over South River.

Jameela James, St. Mary's Ryken

James, a junior, went off for a double-double of 25 points and 20 rebounds in St. Mary's Ryken's 55-49 victory over Springdale Prep.

Destiny Turner, Clarksburg

Turner, a previous nominee and phenomenal athlete in general, registered a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds in Clarksburg's 48-32 win over Quince Orchard.

Maya Bellamy, Wootton

Bellamy, a senior, went off for a double-double of 28 points and 19 rebounds in Wootton's 58-49 win over Walter Johnson. She also scored 21 points in the Patriots' 53-34 win over Blake.

Camille Brandon, Eleanor Roosevelt

Brandon, a senior, went off for 28 points and 12 rebounds in Eleanor Roosevelt's 69-25 blowout victory over Bladensburg.

Aniyah Sisco, La Plata

Sisco, one of last week's nominees, was triumphant in a losing effort. The junior erupted for 31 points in La Plata's 64-49 loss to North Point.

Isabella Smith, Einstein

Smith finished with 21 points and four steals in Einstein's 66-42 victory over Rockville.

Destini Shorts, Thomas Stone

Shorts, a senior, registered 22 points and nine rebounds in Thomas Stone's 55-18 blowout win over Patuxtent.

Skyla Mastronardi, Smithsburg

Mastronardi back in this poll yet again. The senior dropped 24 points in Smithsburg's 71-33 victory over Brunswick.

Kealana Pua'auli, Mountain Ridge

Pua'auli, a junior, made Frostburg proud as she registered 21 points and 14 assists (a double-double) in Mountain Ridge's 72-39 win over North Hagerstown.

Jayden Weaver, Southern (Oakland)

Weaver, a junior, finished with 24 points and seven assists in Southern's 78-46 victory over Keyser (WV).

Huntyr Marks, Southern (Harwood)

Marks, a junior, dropped 22 points and seven assists in Southern's 62-38 win over Severn Run.

Abby Nelson, Northern Garrett

Nelson had two dominant performances over the past week. First, the senior registered 25 points and 12 rebounds in Northern Garrett's 62-35 victory over Bishop Walsh. Then, she followed that up with 35 points and 11 rebounds in the Huskies' 76-38 blowout win over Clear Spring.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.