Who are the girls basketball players to watch? Here’s one list of the area’s best.

Some teams have already started conference play. By the end of this week, everybody will be wrapped up in league play. It’ll be a mad dash to the finish.

With half of the season behind us, it’s not too early to start thinking about potential Sun-Star Player of the Year candidates.

I’ve been impressed from what I’ve seen early on from the girls. There is a lot of talent in Merced County. Picking a Player of the Year at the end of the season is not going to be easy.

Merced High has a point guard in Amaya Ervin who can dominate the game on defense with her ability to pick pockets at the top of the key.

I went to Livingston a few weeks ago and saw two of the top players in the area battle it out with Mariposa’s Milea Appling and Livingston’s Annie Winton going head-to-head.

Golden Valley’s Delia Moore is healthy and putting up big numbers for the Cougars.

If I were a fan, here’s a list of players I would find a way to watch this season:

Amaya Ervin, Merced

Ervin sat out the first quarter against Buhach Colony last week. She entered the game early in the second quarter and it took her just 8 seconds to score. The junior point guard finished with 18 points and seven steals. Ervin is averaging close to 15 points and six steals per game.

Kelsey Valencia, Atwater

The third-year guard has turned into one of the top scorers in the Central California Conference. Valencia is also one of the top shooters, able to catch fire and carry the Falcons offense for long periods of time. Her length also makes her a tough matchup for opposing guard.

Milea Appling, Mariposa

This junior is a threat in the paint for the Grizzlies. Appling is averaging 18.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game this season. She’s got a strong mid-range game and she knows how to find the open spaces in a defense. Appling has topped 20 points in five of her last seven games, including a 29-point, 13-rebound effort against Livingston.

Erika Gutierrez, Los Banos

The Tigers hope to contend for a Western Athletic Conference championship and Erika Gutierrez is a big reason why. The senior is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game. The fourth-year varsity player. can score in transition and from outside.

Delia Moore, Golden Valley

Moore is a fourth-year starter, who had the bulk of her sophomore and junior seasons taken away because of knee injuries. She’s healthy now and averaging 17 points, nine rebounds and six steals per game. Moore has already recorded a pair of triple-doubles this season.

Hailey Chavez, Hilmar

This is how Chavez started her season: She scored 20 points against Central Valley in the opener. She then scored 25 points against Pacific Grove. She followed that up with 32 against Los Banos. She then scored 21 against Mariposa. Hilmar went 4-0 in those games and Chavez is averaging close to 20 points per game.

Annie Winton, Livingston

The Wolves leading scorer is not just relying on her outside shooting this season. She’s attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. As a result, Winton is averaging over 22 points per game. It’ll be interesting to see how she adjusts as WAC play begins and teams have more detailed scouting reports on her.

There are a number of girls who also could be included on this list. Le Grand freshman Alexa Ultreras has put up some big games this season, including 31 points last week against Delhi. Other players deserving honorable mention are : El Capitan’s Liliana Hernandez, Atwater’s Maria Martinez, Merced’s Jada Johnson, Los Banos’ Amelia Smith and Chowchilla’s Alison Gargill.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Who are the girls basketball players to watch? Here’s one list of the area’s best.."