Wilson’s Laila Jones: Wyomissing Physical Therapy Player of the Week
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Wilson sophomore Laila Jones burst onto the Berks Girls League basketball scene as a freshman, receiving All-Berks honors. The 5-7 guard was the first freshman to accorded such status since Fleetwood’s Alexis Hess, who is now playing at Kansas State.
Jones picked up her first Player of the Week award Jan. 23 and has her second overall selection just two weeks into the season.
Jones has the Bulldogs off to a 5-0 start after wins over McCaskey (62-37) and defending Berks I champ Berks Catholic (43-31) last week. It’s the best start for Wilson since it went 10-0 in 2011-12 and went on to win the first of three consecutive league titles.
Jones had 24 points, 12 rebounds and two steals in the win over the Saints and 16 points in the win over the Red Tornado.
“She’s an even better kid than a player,” Wilson head coach Chris Gallo said. “All she cares about is doing what it takes to win. I think she realizes that the individual accolades will come with team success.”
Jones is averaging a team-high 18.6 points per game, third-most in the league behind Exeter’s Grace Reedy and Wyomissing’s Amaya Stewart. She has made 12 3’s, second-most in the league behind Gov. Mifflin’s Taylor Koenig. She is shooting 85 percent from the foul line.
Jones hopes to lead the Bulldogs, who returned four starters and four key reserves, further this season after losing to Wyomissing in the BCIAA semifinals and narrowly missing out on the district tournament last year.
“It feels great to have everyone back,” Jones said. “Just coming to practice every day we’re getting better and competing. Nothing is going to be handed to us. Nothing’s easy. So we just have to work for it.”
Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coach or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
Also considered for Wyomissing Physical Therapy Player of Week:
- Berks Catholic’s Madison Langdon
- Brandywine Heights’ Addison Benner
- Daniel Boone’s Liv Welker
- Exeter’s Grace Reedy
- Fleetwood’s Courtney Bowles
- Gov. Mifflin’s Taylor Koenig
- Hamburg’s Hailie Edwards
- Oley Valley’s Morgan Snyder
- Reading High’s Tamyia Collier
- Wyomissing’s Amaya Stewart
Selected earlier this season:
- Dec. 11: Amaya Stewart, Wyomissing
Selected last season:
- Dec. 12: Alexis Hardy, Wyomissing
- Dec. 19: Morgan Snyder, Oley Valley
- Dec. 26: Caraline Herb, Berks Catholic
- Jan. 2: Ashanti Chapman, Reading High
- Jan. 9: Amelia Gassert, Hamburg
- Jan. 16: Juliana Stichter, Schuylkill Valley
- Jan. 23: Laila Jones, Wilson
- Jan. 30: Alexis Hess, Fleetwood
- Feb. 6: Grace Reedy, Exeter
- Feb. 13: Amaya Stewart, Wyomissing
- Feb. 20: Amaya Stewart, Wyomissing
- Feb. 27: Madison Langdon, Berks Catholic
- March 6: Audrey Hurleman, Wyomissing
Selected Player of Week in 2021-22:
- Dec. 20: Kya Washington, Reading High
- Dec. 27: Caraline Herb, Berks Catholic
- Jan. 3: Shakyla Mayo, Gov. Mifflin
- Jan. 10: Alexis Hess, Fleetwood
- Jan. 17: Addison Benner, Brandywine Heights
- Jan. 24: Lekaiah Solomon, Schuylkill Valley
- Jan. 31: Caroline Reedy, Berks Catholic
- Feb. 7: Addison Benner, Brandywine Heights
- Feb. 14: Caroline Reedy, Berks Catholic
- Feb. 21: Shakyla Mayo, Gov. Mifflin
- Feb. 28: Aailyah Dabney, Berks Catholic
- March 7: Avery Potteiger, Brandywine Heights
