Wyomissing’s Amaya Stewart is UECU girls basketball Player of the Week

By Mike Drago Last updated Feb 25, 2023

Wyomissing builds both its offense and defense around the expanding abilities of sophomore Amaya Stewart.

Whether she’s working in the low post, showing off her rapidly improving moves around the basket, or on defense, where at 6-foot she casts a looming presence over her opponents, Stewart has become a dominant player.

She was last week when she scored 43 points over two wins, including a 33-point victory in the Berks Girls League quarterfinals, to earn Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week.

Stewart scored a career-high 26 points in a 54-20 victory over Fleetwood in the Spartans’ league finale Monday. She dominated the Spartans’ 59-26 BCIAA quarterfinal win over Exeter when she scored a team-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

She blocked five shots and altered several others as the anchor of the league’s stingiest defense. Exeter shot just 25 percent from the field and was held to a season-low scoring total.

“With Amaya inside, and the guards up top, it was hard to get in the middle,” said Berks scoring leader Grace Reedy of Exeter, who went scoreless in the first quarter and had just five points at halftime.

The Spartans (21-2) have won five in a row as they get set to face Wilson in the BCIAA semifinals tomorrow at Santander Arena at 7:30 p.m.

Stewart, who already holds an offer from Temple, continues to expand her game in her second year as a starter for Wyomissing.

Stewart averages 15.0 points per game, good for third in Berks behind Reedy (22.3) and Fleetwood’s Alexis Hess (17.6). Stewart has scored in double figures in 18 of 23 games.

Stewart averaged 10.5 points as a freshman, did not hit a 3-pointer, and shot 45.1% from the foul line. She’s hit four 3’s this season and improved her free throw percentage to 64.0 percent.

Wyomissing will likely remain as the No. 3 seed in the District 3 Class 4A playoffs, which will slot it into a quarterfinal matchup with the No. 6 seed — currently Middletown — in the quarterfinals Feb. 24.

Stewart is the second Wyomissing player to earn Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of the Week honors. Teammate Alexis was selected earlier this season.

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 Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of Week:

Caraline Herb, Berks Catholic
Addison Benner, Brandywine Heights
Grace Reedy, Exeter
Shakyla Mayo, Gov. Mifflin
Ashanti Chapman, Reading High
Natane White, Schuylkill Valley
Laila Jones, Wilson

Selected earlier this 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

Amaya Stewart blocks a shot against Conrad Weiser. (Tim Macrina photo)

Selected last year for Utilities Employees Credit Union Player of Week:

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