ALL-CITY GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM: Talia Walton earns Player of the Year honor, UW up next

By Casey Olson • March 11, 2011 1:42 pm
Federal Way senior Talia Walton averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds to earn the Mirror's All-City Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors.
Federal Way senior Talia Walton averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds to earn the Mirror's All-City Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors.

Talia Walton has had quite a senior year at Federal Way High School. The 6-foot-2 wing signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Washington in November, then led the Eagles into the Class 4A state championship game, where they lost to Lewis & Clark last weekend.

In between, Walton was named the South Puget Sound League’s South Division Most Valuable Player, Seattle Times’ Star Times All-Area and was The News Tribune’s All-Area Player of the Year.

She can now add The Mirror’s All-City Player of the Year to her ever-growing resume.

Walton led the Eagles to a perfect 16-0 record in the SPSL South and to the West Central/Southwest District championship, while averaging 17 points and close to 13 rebounds per game. It was the third-straight season that Federal Way has played at the Class 4A State Girls Basketball Tournament.

During her junior season, she averaged 12.8 points a game and scored in double digits in all but six games, including a 27-point outburst during a state-clinching win over South Kitsap Feb. 20.

She also led the SPSL in rebounding during the regular season by grabbing 11.8 per game. Walton also led the league in blocked shots and was 10th in the league in steals (2.13 a game). She was a first-team, All-SPSL North selection for the third time.

The stellar season, along with her 6-foot-2 frame and ability to knock down the 3-point shot, put Walton on the national recruiting map. She eventually inked with Washington and head coach Tia Jackson.

“I definitely wanted to get it done before the season started,” Walton said. “I just got a vibe at Washington and I want to come in and be a great help right off the bat. I really like their style of play. And playing near my home town also helped out. There is going to be crazy support there.”

She narrowed her list of potential destinations to four schools, including Oregon, the University of California Santa Barbara and the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

According to ESPNU’s Hoopgurlz.com website, Walton is ranked as the 31st-best forward in the nation and the top forward in Washington.