By Robert Wilson
Coach Angela Reynolds led Northwest Rankin High girls basketball team to its only state championship back in 2011.
Reynolds, now a Northwest Rankin assistant principal, hopes she can watch another Lady Cougar team bring home the gold ball.
First-year Northwest Rankin coach Tameika Brown and Malia McCelleis are trying to do that.
The 5-foot-4 sophomore guard took the first step in that direction last week when she averaged 22 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds, 3.5 deflections, and 3 assists and led Northwest Rankin to victories over Oak Grove and Brandon for the MHSAA Class 7A, Region 3 championship in the tournament at Pearl.
For her outstanding performance, McCelleis has been named the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Girls Basketball Player of the Week.
McCelleis had 27 points, 9 steals, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 deflections in a 56-36 victory over Oak Grove Friday in the semifinals and 17 points, 5 deflections, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in a 50-49 victory over Brandon Saturday in the championship game.
She is averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 steals, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for 24-5 Northwest Rankin going into this week.
McCelleis – a member of the Tatum and Wade/Mississippi Scoreboard Preseason Metro Jackson Elite 11 Team – scored a career-high 28 points in a win over Oak Grove earlier this season and scored her 1,000th point two weeks ago.
“Malia is such a hard worker, and it shows when she plays,” said Brown, who coached for seven seasons at Madison Central before coming to Northwest Rankin. “She has been playing very consistent all season. Malia plays with a lot of poise and maturity.”
McCelleis averaged 14 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 1.7 assists and helped Northwest Rankin to 29-11 record and a MHSAA Class 7A semifinal finish and was a third team selection on the All-Metro Jackson team last season as a freshman.
“Malia is a joy to coach,” Brown said. “She has a high IQ for the game. Malia is tough to defend on offense and aggressive and tenacious on defense.”
McCelleis is the daughter of Nikki and Michael McCelleis. Nikki was on the dance team at Murrah High and graduated from Southern Miss, Belhaven and Delta State. She is the President and CEO of the United Way of the Capital Area in Jackson and vice president of the Sisterhood AAU team. Michael played football and ran track at Murrah High and graduated from Southern Miss. He is an assistant coach for the 2027 Sisterhood AAU team, which Malia plays on. Her brother, Nicholas, played basketball and ran track at Northwest Rankin and attends Alcorn State, majoring in coaching and sports administration. He is also an assistant coach for the 2027 Sisterhood AAU team.
Northwest Rankin plays Gulfport in the first round of the South Mississippi Class 7A playoffs Friday at 7 p.m. at Northwest Rankin.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a girls basketball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
WEEK ONE: Shamira Morton, Canton
WEEK TWO: Alya Benson, Germantown
WEEK THREE: Karley Robinson, Madison Central
WEEK FOUR: Anna Morgan Anderson, MRA
WEEK FIVE: Jayden Rhymes, Jackson Academy
WEEK SIX: Shamira Morton, Canton
WEEK SEVEN: Liz Stevens, East Rankin Academy
WEEK EIGHT: Madison Jones, Terry
WEEK NINE: Jahanna “JoJo” Wilson, Callaway
