Former Minneapolis South girls’ basketball superstar TAYLER HILL, who recently finished her first season as a guard for the WNBA Washington Mystics, gave a free basketball clinic for girls ages 6-14 at her alma mater a couple of weeks ago.
Hill, a 5’-10” guard, is among the most decorated high school players (boy or girl) in Minnesota history. After culminating a five-year varsity career with a Class 4A state championship, Metro Player of the Year,
Gatorade Player of the Year, Associated Press Player of the Year, and Miss Basketball, Hill accepted a scholarship offer from Ohio State University.
After a stellar four-year career in which she earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, she was the fourth overall pick in the WNBA draft last spring.
Hill comes from quite the basketball family. Her father, PAUL HILL, was an all-conference guard for South in the 1980s. Sister TANYSHA SCOTT, now the head girls’ basketball coach at South (with former St. Paul Central and University of Minnesota star ASHLEY ELLIS-MILAN as an assistant), starred at DeLaSalle at the turn of the century (1999-2001) before playing at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Brother PJ HILL played for Minneapolis North (graduating in 2006) before moving on to OSU.
The clinic featured members of the current South High girls’ basketball team and coaches helping to facilitate running, passing and dribbling drills along with competition activities.
“It was definitely a good experience for my daughter,” noted KIM CARPENTER, a former all-conference forward from Minneapolis Roosevelt who graduated in 1990. “It was good for her to see other girls willing to learn.”
Carpenter was most impressed with Tayler Hill’s involvement and interaction with participants. “The fact that she engaged with the girls and participated in the activities was great, she said. “It showed that she really cares about the girls in the community. You can tell it was genuine.”
DEREK REUBEN, CEO of the Inner City All-Star Classic and 1988 Mr. Basketball winner while at Minneapolis North, nearly echoed Carpenter’s sentiments. His daughter also attended the clinic.
“It was great,” Reuben said. “Here you have a person four years removed from high school, and she’s already giving something back. That’s rare for someone who has accomplished so much at a young age.”
Carpenter was just as impressed with what happened at the conclusion of the clinic. “She signed autographs and took pictures with everyone,” Carpenter said. “She made sure that it was a community event.”
Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mmcdonald@spokesman-recorder.com.
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