Birmingham senior Janna Holley is SBLive's L.A. City Section girls basketball Player of the Year

Holley led the Patriots to an Open Division title averaging 18.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 3.9 steals per game.

To the surprise of no one, Janna Holley is SBLive's L.A. City Section girls basketball Player of the Year. Holley, who the section voted as its player of the year, led Birmingham to an LACS Open Division championship – and that's just a starting point.

Holley was third in the section (among reported results) and first among Open Division teams with 18.4 points per game, while playing in all 26 games for the Patriots. She led the section in made free throws by leaps and bounds with 130 of them while shooting one of the highest marks in the section at 80%. Her 4.2 assists per game was fifth among reported averages in the section, and only one of the four players ahead of her would also average an assist-turnover ratio above 1.5.

And she truly might've been the section's best defensive player as well. Her 3.9 SPG was third among Open Division teams, but doesn't begin to tell the full story. There was no more blanketing and pestering a perimeter defender than Holley, who held the majority of her high-profile matchups below their season averages. Her steals came more from making opposing ball-handlers cough up the rock with elite point-of-attack defense than from gambling on passing lanes. And when the other team's best playmaker was a bigger wing, she didn't waver. Additionally, Holley's ability to go from playing offense to singlehandedly rushing opposing point guards off both makes and misses was a secret weapon in Birmingham's outstanding transition defense. She also led the team with 87 deflections, four charges, 3.6 defensive rebounds per game, and three offensive rebounds game too for that matter.

Not only did Holley post voluminous averages, but she was highly consistent and clutch as well. For example, she had at least 10 points in all but two games, at least 12 points in all but four games, and at least five rebounds in all but four games even as a 5-4 guard. And as Birmingham's championship trophy would hint, she had a penchant for coming through at important times and elevating her game against Birmingham's best competition.

Her 32-point, six-steal, six-rebound, five-assist performance on a career-high 6-9 3FG to defeat Palisades in the section semifinals was one of the best, most memorable individual performances in recent City Section memory. And it followed up a career-high 34 points in a November game in which Birmingham ended Pali's City Section winning streak of over two years. Holley also averaged 19 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and six steals per game in two Western Valley League games against eventual Division 1 section champion El Camino Real to lock up second place in the conference. She had the worst shooting night of her career in the title game against Westchester, but still manufactured 18 points on 13-16 FT to lead all scorers and get the win.

The list goes on.

"The moment she stepped into the gym at Birmingham she made an impact. She went from a shy unassuming freshman to the most decorated player in our program history," said head coach Victor Koopongsakorn. 

"It was amazing to witness her journey, always working on her craft and getting better year after year. Janna has been our cornerstone these last four years and we will miss everything she brings to our team. But she leaves a lasting impression with her returning teammates and future players a foundation and work ethic of what it takes to achieve our team goals at the highest level." 

All said, Holley had an obvious MVP case as simply the player averaging 18/6/4/4 on the championship team. But her contributions came down to so much more than just that nice stat line, which is why Birmingham won its first Open Division title and why Holley is our CIFLACS Player of the Year.