Riley Nelson had accepted a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Maryland before last season and then led the Clarksburg High girls basketball team to the 2022 Maryland 4A championship game.
This year, she took on a new challenge, transferring to the Bullis School and taking on some of the top teams in the Washington area.
The adjustment has been mostly seamless and Nelson continued her success this week, leading the Bulldogs to another victory and being named a McDonald’s All-American.
For her efforts, Nelson was named the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame High School Athlete of the Week.
Each week throughout the school year, the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame is partnering with Montgomery Community Media to honor an Athlete of the Week from the county’s more than 40 public and private high schools.
The fall Athletes of the Week were presented with a commemorative hat and certificate at the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 induction ceremony in December.
Nelson, a senior forward, has shined throughout the season and helped the Bulldogs win eight of their past nine games entering Thursday’s game against Holy Child. In Tuesday’s 69-43 win over Stone Ridge, Nelson scored 23 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out four assists, made three steals and blocked three shots. For the season, she is averaging a team-leading 16.5 points (shooting 76 percent from the field), 11.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. She also is shooting 61 percent from three-point range.
“And she has helped other kids get better and succeed and build confidence,” Bullis Coach Justin Leith said. “It takes a rare kid to be able to do that and she’s done it effortlessly. She has a dynamic personality and relates to each of the kids on our team in a different way. She is happy and fun to be around.”
