Anchorage’s Sayvia Sellers held her own at the Ballislife All-American Game. Photo by Joey Barranco
It was a play we’ve seen dozens of times in Alaska. Sayvia Sellers grabs a rebound, takes a dribble or two and throws a length-of-the-court dart to a streaking teammate for a transition layup.
This was common when she played for ACS, but Saturday she did it twice in the Ballislife All-American Game against the best of the best players in the country. Two of her teammates are headed to NCAA champion LSU, including No. 1 ranked Mikaylah Williams out of Parkway in Louisiana.
Sellers is an elite point guard with epic court vision and proved she belonged on the big stage after dropping five dimes in 14 minutes for Team Future in a 107-99 win over Team Elite in Los Angeles. The 5-foot-7 University of Washington signee scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot.
Sellers, ranked No. 28 nationally in the Class of 2023, is the first Alaskan to play in the 10th annual Ballislife All-American Game.
She showcased her next level passing skills and could have had double digit dimes if her teammates utilized better shot selection. She spoon fed shooters and made two highlight-reel, length-of-the-court assists, with the first one setting up a buzzer-beater that gave Team Future a 28-19 lead after the first quarter.
Sayvia slick hoopin’
— Demietrius 🅿️ (@DemietriusP) May 6, 2023
The second one came late midway through the fourth quarter to give her team a 92-84 edge. On the very next possession she set up a 3-pointer as the lead swelled to 95-84.
Sellers is a pass-first floor general who makes a habit of getting everybody involved, but apparently her teammates on the second unit didn’t get the memo because once the Anchorage point guard gave up the ball she seldom, if ever, got it back.
It had to be a foreign feeling. She neither started nor played in the third quarter.
Nevertheless, the reigning two-time Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year and state’s all-time leading scorer with 2,651 points was a good sport as she high-fived teammates, chanted ‘de-fense’ and smiled from the bench.
Sellers never really got going in the game, but she found her rhythm in the 3-point contest.
The 2023 Ballislife All-American Three Point Contest presented by Redbull is Streaming LIVE now: https://t.co/SGraUGU1qZ pic.twitter.com/5EpiXDVu9f
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 6, 2023
Sellers won her matchup in the first round before falling 15-14 to Notre Dame signee, Emma Risch, the No. 20 recruit out of Melbourne Palm Bay in Florida.
Sellers was the latest Alaskan to advance to the 3-point contest final at an All-American Game.
East’s Trajan Langdon won the 3-point contest at the McDonald’s All-American Game in 1994 and Bartlett’s Mario Chalmers was the McDonald’s champion in 2005.