Stanford's McDonald's All Americans talk about their earliest memories playing basketball

Maggie Hendricks, usatodayhss.com, March 30, 2016

The McDonald’s All American Game roster is full of accomplished seniors ready to play for the best teams in the NCAA, but at one time, they were just young kids learning to play the game.

Some of the players, got their start playing with their siblings.

Bellevue’s (Wash.) Anna Wilson first time on the court was with her brother, but it was before she was even on a team. She was just three years old.

“My brother Harry was in a game, and I had run on to the court in the middle of the game,” she said. 

“They were in transition, and Harry picked me up, ran me over to my mom and ran back into the game!”

For a few of the All Americans, their talent was evident early. DiJonai Carrington (Horizon Christian Academy, San Diego) tagged along as her parents coached a high school summer team during the summer before third grade, and begged to play on the short-handed team. Her mom said no, at first.

“A player fouls out. Another player fouls out. Another player fouls out. I said, wellll, you’re down to four, I’m here,” Carrington said. “I scored 18 points or something ridiculous. I was about to be a third grader, and I said, ‘You should have put me in earlier!’”

Other All Americans found their talent a bit later in their career. Nadia Fingall’s (Choctawhatchee, Fla.)  first team didn’t win a single game.

“I did everything for the jersey. When I got my first uniform, I put it on and I stood in front of the mirror for like, an hour. I was so happy to have the uniform,” she said.