Valley Vista senior Marisa Davis received the most votes in Arizona Republic’s poll for the top performers in the first week of the high school girls basketball playoffs, March 8-14.

The 6-foot-1 Washington-committed wing Davis averaged 27 points, six rebounds, 1.5 assists in the first week of the 6A tournament.

That includes her season-high 32 points, shooting 70% from the field, with seven rebounds and two assists to lead Valley Vista over 10th-seed Rincon/University in the 6A tournament’s quarterfinals on Friday.

She also had the Monsoon’s team-best 22 points on 50% shooting, five rebounds, two steals and an assist in its opening round victory over Anthem Boulder Creek, 74-33 on March 2.

Here are the other top performers nominated in the 6A-1A conference tournament’s opening week of play:

Brionna Smith, Gilbert Leading Edge Academy, C, Sr.

She scored 27 points and reached her 1,000th career point as top seed Leading Edge beat eighth seed Joseph City, 67-34, in the 1A state quarterfinals Wednesday.

Amanda Barcello, Chandler Seton Catholic, F, Sr.

Barcello scored her 1,000th point and totaled a game-high 21, plus grabbed 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in top seed Seton Catholic’s 64-31 win over ninth seed Coconino in the 4A quarterfinals Friday. 

Ashiian Hunter, Mesa, G, So.

Hunter had a game-high 36 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals and just one turnover in No. 6 Mesa’s 69-63 overtime win over Phoenix Pinnacle in the 6A playoffs’ first round on Tuesday.

Mackenzie Shivers, Mesa, G, Jr.

She had 17 points, four assists and six steals in Mesa’s win over Pinnacle. 

Alyssa Brown, Tucson Sahuaro, F, Sr.

She averaged 29.5 points on 67% shooting, 9 rebounds and 5.5 steals in Sahuaro’s 4A first round and quarterfinal wins over Phoenix Thunderbird and Flagstaff, 58-43 and 62-56, respectively.

Tatyanna Clayburne, Gilbert Williams Field, G, Sr.

Clayburne scored a game-high 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in sixth seed Williams Field’s 50-41 loss to third seed Goodyear Millennium in the 5A quarterfinals Friday.

Daeja Johnson, Queen Creek Casteel, G, Sr.

She had a game-high 27 points on 62% shooting, 7 rebounds and 2 steals in No. 1 seed Casteel’s 5A opening round win against No. 16 Phoenix Paradise Valley on Tuesday. Casteel later was forced to forfeit the win because of an AIA violation

Avery Graber, Paradise Valley, C, So.

Graber had 23 points, 21 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steals in Paradise Valley’s game against Casteel.

Elli Guiney, Millennium, G, Fr.

Guiney had the game-high 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in Millennium’s win over WIlliams Field.

Mia Amundsen, Millennium, G, So.

Amundsen had 18 points, shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, added 3 rebounds and 3 steals in Millennium’s 5A opening round playoff win over fourteenth seed Vail Cienega, 73 26, on Tuesday.

Amyah Reaves, Chandler Hamilton, G, Sr.

She had 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals in top seed Hamilton’s 65-15 rout of sixteenth seed Yuma Cibola in the 6A tournament’s opening round Tuesday. She also had 11 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals in Hamilton’s 56-46 Hamilton’s 56-46 quarterfinal victory over its rival No. 8 Gilbert Perry on Friday. 

Vanessa Washington, Hamilton, G, Sr.

She scored 20 points and added four rebounds in Hamilton’s win over Perry on Friday. 

Jaden Leslie, Mesa Dobson, G, Sr.

Leslie scored 22 points in the first half on 78% shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and committed just one turnover in fourth seed Dobson’s 56-32 rout of No. 13 Mesa Desert Ridge in the 6A tournament’s opening round. 

Victoria Saucedo, Phoenix Xavier Prep, G, Sr.

She had a game-high 22 points on 54% shooting in No. 3 seed Xavier’s 56-42 win over No. 14 Tucson in the 6A playoff first-round.

Madison Magee, Valley Vista, C, Sr.

She had 22 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists as the 6A tournament’s third seed Valley Vista beat 14th seed Anthem Boulder Creek, 74-33, in the opening round on Tuesday.

Ella Schott, Cave Creek Cactus Shadows, C, Sr.

Schott had 19 points on 70% shooting, 3 assists and 3 steals and just one turnover in No. 4 Cactus Shadows’ 59-44 win over 13th seed Phoenix Horizon in the 5A opening round on Tuesday.

Alaya Fitzgerald, Gilbert Mesquite, G, Sr.

Fitzgerald had a game-high 24 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in fourth seed Mesquite’s 36-32 win over fifth seed Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep in the 4A quarterfinals on Friday.

Nicole Scherzer, Phoenix Horizon, G, So.

She had 22 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in Horizon’s loss to Cactus Shadows.

Sierra LaBuwi, Cactus Shadows, G, So.

LaBuwi had a game-high 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists as the Falcons edged No. 5 Flowing Wells, 67-61, in the 5A quarterfinals Friday.

Torrance Begay, Page, C, Sr.

She scored 17 points on 73% shooting, had 8 rebounds, 5 assists,  2 blocks, 1 steal and no turnovers as the 3A playoffs’ undefeated top seed Page dominated eighth seed Yuma Catholic, 57-25, on Friday. 

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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