There are a number of high school girls basketball players carrying on a family legacy of athletic excellence. These ballers are the daughters, sisters and even granddaughters of former professional athletes who have the pedigree and talent to succeed at a high level.
Will they go on to reach the professional level and stardom of their relatives? Only time will tell.
But for now, these ladies are blazing their own trail and making a name for themselves on the hardwood.
Among them are NBA daughters Mackenly Randolph and Izela Arenas of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), Kate Harpring of Marist (Atlanta, Ga.) and Me’Arah O’Neal of Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas). But football, baseball and even tennis daughters are getting in on the action.
Read on for a look at a dozen high school girls keeping the family legacy alive.
Izela Arenas, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Father: Gilbert Arenas spent 12 years in the NBA, playing with the Warriors,
Wizards, Magic and Grizzlies. He was a three-time All-Star.
Izela: The Louisville commit has been a huge contributor to Sierra Canyon’s success for the past four seasons, helping the Trailblazers win a state title in 2021. Arenas is averaging 16.9 points and 4.3 rebounds for the nationally-ranked program.
Hope Counts, Providence Academy (Plymouth, Minn.)
Grandfather: Mel Counts also was an All-American at Oregon State and won gold in the 1964 Olympics. He played with both Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
Hope: The 6-foot-2 junior is averaging 8.6 points and 8.7 rebounds for the 17-3 Lions. Counts has good court vision, a nice shooting touch and passed 500 career points earlier this season.
Alyssa Dampier, Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.)
Father: Erick Dampier was the 10th overall pick of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers out of Mississippi State. He played 16 seasons with the Pacers, Warriors, Mavericks, Heat and Hawks. He scored more than 7,000 points and grabbed more than 7,000 boards in his career.
Alyssa: The 6-5 sophomore was a MAIS All-State selection for volleyball with with 174 kills. On the hardwood, she is averaging 3.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per night. “The sky is the limit for this young lady. She has the potential to be a great player,” Madison-Ridgeland Academy coach Stephen Force said.
Jessica Fields, Mount Paran Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Brother: Justin Fields was the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears after playing at Ohio State and Georgia. He was a five-star prospect coming out of Harrison and threw for more than 4,000 yards in high school.
Jessica: A Georgia Coaches Association All-State pick last year, she helped the Eagles to a 31-1 record in 2022-23, winning the Class AA title. The junior has topped 1,000 career points as Mount Paran is 17-3 with two of those loses coming to teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25.
Lena Girardi, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Father: Joe Girardi won World Series titles as a player and coach with the New York Yankees. He played from 1989-2003 for five teams and managed the Marlins, Yankees and Phillies.
Lena: The offers are piling up for the 6-foot junior who transferred to IMG Academy in the offseason. Girardi, who is averaging 8.9 points and 7 rebounds per game, is closing in on 2,000 career points and has not only the size, but the quickness to play multiple positions on the floor. Her high basketball IQ has helped the Ascenders tally a 20-3 record and earn a top 10 national ranking by MaxPreps.
Maddyn Greenway, Providence Academy
Father: Chad Greenway spent his 11-year career with the Minnesota Vikings. A linebacker, he was a two-time Pro Bowl player and finished with more than 1,000 tackles.
Maddyn: She has already passed 2,000 career points and is one of the most prolific scorers in the country. The sophomore is averaging 32.9 points per night for the 17-3 Lions.
Katie Harpring, Marist (Atlanta)
Father: Matt Harpring played 11 years in the NBA after a college career at Georgia Tech. He was on the NBA All-Rookie first team in 1999 and scored more than 7,600 career points.
Katie: The sophomore set the school record for points earlier this season, dropping 45 and has passed 1,000 career points. She is also the No. 2 singles player for the Marist tennis team.
Jada Lynch, St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.)
Mother: Kim Clijsters won four major singles titles in tennis. Counting her two major double titles, she owns a career Grand Slam. Clijsters is married to Brian Lynch, who played college basketball at Villanova and professionally in Europe.
Jada: The sophomore has taken her game to a different level this season. She can play all five positions and Wednesday scored 30 in a game against perennial New Jersey power St. John-Vianney (Holmdel).
Me’Arah O’Neal, Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas)
Father: Shaquille O’Neal is one of the NBA’s most dominant big men. He is a four-time champion and three-time finals MVP. Also an actor and rapper, Shaq is an analyst on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.
Me’Arah: She joined her father as a McDonald’s All American this season, becoming one a handful of father-daughter pairs to be honored. The 6-4 senior, a four-star talent who is regarded as a top 50 prospect, committed to Florida late last year. The Knights are 25-5.
Isabella Ragone, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)
Father: Dave Ragone is the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator who spent four years in the NFL and NFL Europe. The quarterback was the Offensive MVP of NFL Europe in 2005.
Isabella: The 6-2 sophomore shooting guard is averaging 20 points per night for the 16-5 Hawks. She already has offers from the likes of Notre Dame and Georgia.
Mackenly Randolph, Sierra Canyon
Father: Zach Randolph is a two-time NBA All-Star who played for 18 seasons with Portland, New York, the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. He played in college at Michigan State and finished his NBA career with 18,578 points and more than 10,000 rebounds.
MacKenly: McDonald’s All American is averaging 19.8 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. A highly-coveted recruit, she is down to Louisville, Notre Dame and Michigan State. Along with Arenas and transfer Jerzy Robinson, Randolph has provided a seamless transition for the Trailblazers following the graduation of last year’s MaxPreps National Player of the Year Juju Watkins.
Lailaa Williams, Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.)
Mother: Candace Parker likely will be on the WNBA’s Mount Rushmore one day. She was the national player of the year in high school before becoming the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. Parker is a three-time WNBA champion and finals MVP who is now with the Las Vegas Aces.
Father: Shelden Williams was a top-ranked high school player from Oklahoma and nicknamed “The Landlord.” He played at Duke before spending seven seasons in the NBA. He was the fifth overall pick in 2006 by the Hawks and his number is retired by the Blue Devils.
Lailaa: Just a freshman, Williams is averaging 9.8 points and 13.2 rebounds in 13 games for the 10-16 Vikings. She also played volleyball, hammering 84 kills in 77 sets along with 39 blocks for the CIF Division II state champions.
