Bishop Ireton, who entered The Throne as the sixth seed, won the prestigious tournament as it took down three of the best girls basketball teams in the country and won the championship 61-44 over Sidwell Friends.
North Carolina commit Nyla Brooks, ranked by ESPN as a five-star wing, was named Final MVP. She recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and three steals in 32 minutes of play in the championship game.
Brooks, standing at 6-foot-1, showed a range of abilities from driving into the lane hard and finishing, crossing over defenders, and hitting a 3-pointer. NBA Future posted a video of her championship performance:
Nyla Brooks and the Cardinals win @TheThroneHoops championship!
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) March 29, 2025
25 points for the c/o 2025 top 25 prospect 🙌🔥 pic.twitter.com/ptyfdATobA
In addition to beating 27-4 Sidwell Friends, Bishop Ireton took down 29-4 Mater Dei, which was ranked No. 8 in MaxPreps' national rankings, and Bishop McNamara, a 29-1 team ranked No. 2 whose only loss had been to the aforementioned Mater Dei Monarchs.
Bishop Ireton had faced off against Bishop McNamara three times during the regular season, each time falling — including a 20-point loss in a February matchup. This time, the Cardinals got the better of the Mustangs, with Amirah Anderson contributing 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Brooks, who had at one time been a Tennessee commit, announced her intention to play at North Carolina in August. She was named the Gatorade Virginia Girls Basketball Player Of The Year this season after averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and one block per game, according to UNC. In the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association championship game, she posted 23 points and 12 rebounds in a victory over Paul VI.
She now has a quick turnaround — she's set to play in the McDonald's All-American Game this week. Both games take place Tuesday, with the girls beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET and boys at 9 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: University of North Carolina commit Nyla Brooks named The Throne MVP
