We put our heads together and came up with the 10 most impactful players from the last decade in the state of Virginia. Take a look at our list (tell us who you think we overlooked) and check out our team and coach of the decade, too.

Devon Brown, Liberty: After leaving Waynesboro High as the second-leading high school girls basketball scorer in state history (2,728 points), Brown emerged as one of the Big South’s best players from the day she stepped on Liberty’s campus. In fact, the 5-10 forward was a four-time all-Big South first-team selection. Brown finished second in program history in points (2,001). Also in Liberty’s top 10 for rebounds, field goals, 3-point field goals, free throws and double-doubles. Twice named Big South tournament MVP and selected as the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s top Virginia women’s college basketball player in 2011. Inspired in her final year by her mother, JJ, who suffered a heart attack and died en route to watching her daughter play.

Dawn Evans, JMU: We got just two years of the flashy point guard in this decade, but they were her two most elite seasons. The Duke, named CAA Player of the Year in 2011, holds the career record for points at JMU (2,667) and set a school single-game record with 42 points against Virginia. Among the national scoring leaders for three seasons, Evans received the V Foundation Comeback Award recipient in 2011. She missed just three games in dealing with a disease that affected her kidneys. In her first game back, Evans went off for 31 against Duke. The 5-foot-7 senior averaged 23.1 points and piled up 98 3-pointers and 147 assists while leading JMU to the CAA title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in as many seasons. She went on to become an ambassador for the NephCure Foundation, and today works as an actress.

Precious Hall, JMU: Our all-clutch player. Second to Evans in points at JMU (2,347 points), scoring 841 of those her senior year (a single-season mark). The 2015 CAA Player of the Year missed the following season with a knee injury and returned to win the conference player of the year award as a redshirt senior in 2017 (Hall was also the conference’s freshman of the year). Scored 46 against Rutgers as a senior; buried a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left to send a WNIT game vs. Villanova into OT, the final game of her storied career. But we can’t help but reflect back to her monster performance against Tennessee — 39 points, seven 3s, halfcourt buzzer-beater to end the first period. The effort was her first game back after that knee injury in a memorable night at The Convo. Most recently, she played in Sweden.

Courtney Hurt, VCU: Finished her four-year VCU career as the program’s all-time leader in scoring (2,092), rebounding (1,243), double-doubles (58), games played (131), field goals (770), free throws (503) and minutes played (3,694). The 6-1 forward led the nation in rebounding for her final two seasons and as a senior was second in the NCAA in scoring. In 2011, Hurt was named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 list, the first player in VCU history to receive that honor. Hurt’s professional career has included several stops, including her current team in France.

Jericka Jenkins,  Hampton: The current graduate assistant at Texas State finished as the national runner up in assists her junior year and fifth in the NCAA the following year. The diminutive point guard overcame Hodgkins Lymphoma at age 14. Jenkins started all four seasons for the Lady Pirates and was twice named first-team All-MEAC. Earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors following the 2010-11 campaign, a first for an HU player in Division I, and was named Hampton University Female Student-Athlete of the Year after each of her final two seasons as a Lady Pirate.

Regan Magarity, Virginia Tech: Who’s more versatile? The 6-3 Swede was a do-everything kind of player for both Dennis Wolff and Kenny Brooks. The program leader in rebounds also owns the most double-doubles in Hokie history. Third all-time in scoring in Blacksburg, she also ranks third in blocks for the Hokies. She became the first Hokie to be drafted by the WNBA since 2007 when the Connecticut Sun selected her in the third round in 2019.

Chelsie Schweers, Christopher Newport: One of the best players to wear a Christopher Newport uniform, Schweers, from Chesapeake’s Hickory High School, graduated as the program’s leading scorer with 2,869 points — the most by any female in the Commonwealth ever. She earned All-America honors following every season of her collegiate career, and was named the NCAA Division III National Player of the Year following her senior season. With 415 made three-pointers, the 5-7 guard hit more than any Division III player in history, and ranks second in the NCAA across all three divisions. The former LadySwish blogger continues to play overseas in Australia.

Brittani Shells, Richmond:  Her 2,042 points ranks second all-time at Richmond, where she is also the Spiders’ all-time steals leader at 300 swipes. Shells led the Atlantic 10 in scoring twice and was a three  The 5-7 guard from Delaware was a three-time all-conference first-teamer. In her four years, Shells started 125 of Richmond’s 126 games. The film buff played professionally overseas.

Jennie Simms, Old Dominion: The Lady Monarchs have produced great players over the years; Simms can stand beside them. The Conference USA Player of the Year left ODU ranked fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 2,151 career points. The 6-foot forward became just the sixth Lady Monarch to score 2,000 career points and only the third to score 2,000 in her first three seasons at ODU. Simms, drafted by the Washington Mystics, also spent time playing for the Indiana Fever.

Monica Wright, Virginia: The current assistant at Virginia played just one year in the decade, but we can’t overlook her impact. Wright graduated as the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer with 2,540 points, which ranks third in the history of the ACC. The three-time All-American was the 2010 ACC Player of the Year, ACC Defensive Player of the Year and WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 23.7 points per game (ranked seventh nationally) and 3.7 steals per game (second in the NCAA) while leading the Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament as a senior. The former Forest Park High star was the second overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft. Selected by Minnesota, she made the league’s all-rookie team and won titles with the Lynx in 2011 and 2013.

Coach:

David Six, Hampton: Heard the expression six for Six? Hampton advanced to the NCAA Tournament six times in the decade as winners of the MEAC. Hampton’s 12 seed in the 2014 national tournament was the best for any MEAC team in history. In 2012-13, the Lady Pirates led all of Division I in scoring defense, holding opponents to 47.8 points per game. Hampton, seeded 13th in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, nearly upset No. 4 Kentucky in the opening round before falling in overtime.

Team

JMU: No state team was a more consistent winner that these Dukes, who won at least 23 games all 10 years, topped out at 29 wins three times and finished the span with a gaudy 269-76 mark. JMU also found plenty of postseason success, advancing to the NCAA Tournament four times – winning a first-round game over Gonzaga in 2016 – and twice making deep runs in the WNIT, including a runner-up finish in 2012.