Vote: Who Is the Maryland Girls Basketball Player of the Week - Jan. 19, 2026

Nominees include Bishop McNamara's Qandace Samuels, Clarksburg's Destiny Turner, and Good Counsel's Lyla Thompson.

Girls Basketball Player of the Week / High School On SI

We're halfway through the high school basketball season in Maryland. Starting this week, we're asking you this question: Who was the Maryland high school girls basketball Player of the Week?

We looked at schools in multiple counties and nominated 10 athletes for games played from Jan. 12-18.

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

Voting closes Sunday, Jan. 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. The winner will be announced next week. Here are this week's nominees.

Qandace Samuels, Bishop McNamara

Samuels continues to be one of the best players in Maryland and the country. The five-star junior registered a double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) along with five steals and the game-winning bucket, as then-No. 2 Bishop McNamara beat then-No. 1 Ontario Christian (CA) 57-55

Destiny Turner, Clarksburg

The junior Turner also had a double-double (20 points, 12 rebounds) to lead Clarksburg to a 52-31 win over rival Seneca Valley.

Lyla Thompson, Good Counsel

Thompson, a freshman, went off for 25 points in Good Counsel's 72-41 blowout victory over Bishop O'Connell.

Aubree Thompson, Sherwood

Thompson, a junior, finished with a whopping 29 points in Sherwood's 66-23 blowout win over Paint Branch.

Mi'Chael Muhammad, Eleanor Roosevelt

Muhammad, a junior, is another player with a double-double on this list. She dropped 23 points and 18 rebounds in Eleanor Roosevelt's dominant 54-15 win over Bladensburg.

Fatima Dabo, Parkdale

Dabo, a senior, finished with 23 points in Parkdale's 71-2 blowout victory over Northwestern.

Lila Gunther, Decatur

Gunther, a junior, scored 21 points to lead Decatur to a 67-27 win over Snow Hill. She also had 11 points and eight rebounds in the Seahawks' 65-19 victory over Parkside.

Qaidence David, Pikesville

David, a sophomore, finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in Pikesville's 62-25 victory over Catonsville.

Ayanna Anspach, Quince Orchard

Anspach, a sophomore, registered 18 points and seven rebounds to lead Quince Orchard a close 47-42 victory over Poolesville. Then, she scored 14 in the Cougars' 64-29 blowout win over Blair.

Francesca Svizzero, Douglass-PG

Svizzero, a junior, dropped 21 points in Douglass-PG's 60-30 victory over Potomac.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way of for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of our players featured, regardless of vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a 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.